Google stopped live traffic updates in Palestinian areas, a change that Bloomberg said was implemented at the request of the Israeli occupation forces, and Apple complied with the request of the occupying forces by disabling live traffic updates in its Maps app.
The change affects both Google Maps and Waze. A Google spokesperson said: “As we have done in conflict situations, in response to the evolving situation in the region and with the safety of local communities in mind, we have temporarily disabled the ability to view real-time traffic data and activity information.”
“Anyone traveling to a particular location can always receive a planned route and arrival area that takes into account the current traffic situation,” she added.
In 2022, Google took similar actions during the war between Russia and Ukraine. The use of an app that tracks military operations has disabled live traffic information in Ukraine.
The Israeli war against Hamas continues to escalate. It is estimated that more than 5,000 Palestinian residents of the Gaza Strip were martyred during the period from October 7 to 23. About 15,273 Palestinians have been injured in Gaza since Israel began its military response.
The latest changes to Google Maps and Waze come ahead of Israel's expected ground invasion of the blockaded Gaza Strip, in which military action could theoretically disrupt traffic.
At the request of the Israeli occupation forces, whose movements can be detected through real-time traffic information, the company removed real-time data on traffic congestion in Palestine.
Google Maps' real-time traffic updates work by pulling data from smartphones that have the app installed. Live traffic updates use location tracking to measure the number of cars on a given road and their speed.
App users can get updated information about traffic conditions in a particular area. “The navigation app does not display real-time traffic conditions, although drivers using the navigation system will still receive estimated arrival times based on local conditions and residents can continue to use the navigation system to simplify navigation,” Google said.