How a woman flashing at Google Maps exposes the chinks in its armour
With more than two billion monthly users, Maps is one of the most widely-used Google services in the world. Users from across the globe use it to travel to landmarks and find obscure places. The platform, however, relies not only on advanced satellite imaging but also user reviews to create accurate maps of even the most obscure and remote areas known to ordinary citizens.
Despite making it very accurate, relying on locals to add depth to the platform comes with its own set of problems. Case in point, the video of this tourist who reportedly added a video of her flashing her breast to a remote road on Google Maps. As per a report published in The Sun: "The naughty clip shows her checking over her shoulder before pulling down the neckline of her pink top to expose her breast, while cheekily smiling at the camera."
While not an accurate description of the road which otherwise sees the application describing it using mundane images of farmland and farming equipment, the video has added five-star reviews for the location that lies in a remote area of Taiwan.
As per the report, many users also commented on the video. One of them said: "This is a great place! I'm not afraid to make a special trip! This is the glory of being an experienced driver" while another one added, ''I've never thought about going there but now I want to. It definitely seems like a lively area.''
Though there is no clarity as to who the woman at the centre of the scandal is, but going by local media reports, she appears to be a tourist passing by the area.
Why did she add the video?
As the report explains, the woman in question appears to be a Local Guide. The term is usually used for Google Maps users who contribute reviews to the Maps platform. Though it initially involved pictures, last year, Google expanded it to videos. These Local Guides for their contribution earn points that can be swapped for real-life perks, including extra online data storage and early access to Google features.
Despite getting a lot of reviews, the Local Guide is all but certain to be blocked by Google from the Maps service as nudity is not allowed on the platform by the tech giant.
Google Maps' terms of usage state that it doesn't permit pornographic, explicit or sexually suggestive content.
How has Google reacted?
As expected, Google has acted swiftly to remove the video after a likely complaint by a user. For now, the tech giant is still reviewing the matter. According to reports, Google told Hong Kong-based tech blog Apple Daily that it is investigating how the clip was uploaded to the platform.
The company has also explained that it is a one-off occurrence and that it is also reportedly working on “strengthening the system’s automatic detection mechanism” to catch future attempts by Local Guides to add pornographic content to the platform.
However, despite Google's efforts, the fact of the matter remains that it will be extremely difficult for Google to stop people from uploading pornographic content on the widely-used platform.
The tech giant, in its efforts to do so, can feed into the automatic detection mechanism as many half-naked pictures as it wants.
Yet, as has been seen with its other services, it will not be an easy task.