Google Maps has obtained a couple of main updates this month, including Immersive View for routes, bringing new AI options and, extra lately, a visible overhaul that brings a brand new color palette to the app. Whereas Maps is normally a dependable solution to examine up data on locations like eating places, cinemas, ATM places and different institutions, it’s not resistant to faux evaluations and deceptive content material. In a bid to make Maps extra strong, Google has now shared three new methods it prevents policy-violating content material from being submitted.
In a weblog publish shared Wednesday, Google defined that it displays uncommon patterns in consumer contributed content material, for instance a spike in one-star evaluations for an institution, and takes applicable motion to forestall abuse. “This will embody every little thing from taking down policy-violating content material to briefly disabling new contributions,” the weblog stated. The corporate additionally seems to be at coverage violating evaluations and investigates accounts that left stated evaluations.
Secondly, Google additionally works to guard locations and institutions forward of delicate moments, for instance an election, when the corporate anticipates an uptick in unrelated and unhelpful content material on Maps. Google says it limits contributors’ capability to make edits to telephone numbers, addresses and different data to curb down on deceptive content material
Additional, the search engine big has put in place long-term protections towards unhelpful and dangerous consumer contributions. This may, for example, embody adverse evaluations of locations like police stations and prisons. “A set of frameworks helps us consider how useful consumer enter is likely to be for most of these locations, and primarily based on the result we might apply restrictions starting from limiting contributions to blocking a selected kind of content material to blocking contributed content material altogether,” Google stated.
In instances the place consumer contributions have been restricted, contributors might get a banner that notifies them that the performance is turned off. Regardless of restrictions, nonetheless, customers can search for useful data like telephone quantity, handle and web site for locations.
Final month, Google rolled out Immersive View for routes characteristic as a part of a brand new Maps replace, which lets customers preview their route step-by-step whereas driving, strolling, or biking. The characteristic is on the market in choose cities like Amsterdam, Barcelona, Dublin, Florence, Las Vegas, London, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Paris, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, Tokyo, and Venice on each Android and iOS. Moreover, Google additionally added an AI-powered Lens in Maps characteristic to assist customers perceive their environment in actual time.
Extra lately, Google additionally rolled out an all-new color palette for Google Maps, overhauling all visible facets of the app. Roads and streets have been modified from off-white color to gray and the greens and blues for parks or water our bodies have additionally modified noticeably. Highways are additionally not yellow, adopting a darker gray color scheme.
