Google has temporarily disabled live traffic conditions and busyness information in Israel and the Gaza Strip on its Maps and Waze apps. According to a report by Bloomberg, this decision was made at the request of the Israeli military, potentially in anticipation of a ground invasion into Gaza. The disabling of real-time data is not unprecedented, as Google took similar action in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion last year.
While real-time traffic will not be displayed, drivers will continue to receive estimated times of arrival based on live conditions. This measure is intended to prevent the inadvertent revelation of Israeli troop movements through live traffic information.
Apple Inc.'s Maps app has also reportedly complied with the Israeli army’s request, according to Israeli tech site GeekTime. Apple has not made an official announcement regarding the same.
After the Hamas attack on Israel, Google CEO Sundar Pichai voiced his concerns for the victims of the attack and later announced $8 million in grants for civilians who are affected both in Israel and Gaza. He also highlighted the impact on Jewish, Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim Googlers after the attack who are reeling with attacks and Islamophobia.
The move to disable traffic updates comes as Israel mobilises over 300,000 reservists following attacks from the militant group Hamas, which resulted in more than 1,400 casualties in southern Israel and over 200 hostages. The possibility of a ground invasion of Gaza by Israel’s military has drawn criticism from world leaders due to the risk of civilian casualties.
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