Google Maps controversy: Ukrainian military locations exposed
Updated Google Maps have revealed the positions of Ukrainian military systems, announced Andrij Kowalenko, head of the Centre for Counteracting Disinformation, on Sunday. The Ukrainian authorities have requested the immediate removal of this data from the corporation.
In his Telegram post, Andrij Kowalenko expressed concern about Google releasing images showing the deployment of Ukrainian military systems.
Imagine such a situation. Google displays a map update showing the location of our military systems (I won’t elaborate), - wrote Kowalenko.
He noted that despite the urgent need to remove this information, the corporation's response might be delayed due to... the weekend.
According to Kowalenko, the Russians have been actively spreading these images, posing a serious threat to the country's safety. Vladimir Putin's army could more easily target objectives on the Ukrainian side of the front due to Google's oversight.
What is wrong with this world? - he asked rhetorically, expressing frustration over the situation.
Following the publicity of the issue, Google representatives contacted the Ukrainian side and assured them that they are working on resolving the problem. The Ukrainian authorities expect swift action to remove sensitive data from the maps. They hope the Russians won't exploit the tech giant's mistake, which would be a major advantage for them.
As reported by RMF FM, Kowalenko promised that in the future, Ukraine will strengthen its cooperation with Google to prevent similar situations. In September this year, representatives of the Ukrainian Centre for Counteracting Disinformation had already met with staff from the American tech giant.
During the talks, they discussed ways to combat disinformation on the YouTube platform, - informs Hromadske.
