Google has taken the unusual step of disabling some features in Google Maps for Ukraine, likely out of concern Russian forces could use it in their invasion.
Google Maps can provide live information regarding traffic and other conditions, but there has been some concern Russian invasion forces could use the feature to track Ukrainian troop movements or fleeing civilians. For example, according to Reuters, a professor at California’s Middlebury Institute of International Studies was able to track Russian troop buildup on the Ukrainian border before the invasion, a buildup that looked like a traffic jam.
Google’s move comes as tech companies are implementing their own sanctions against Russia in a show of support and solidarity for Ukraine, and in an effort to make the Russian invasion as costly as possible for Vladimir Putin and his allies.
