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As the war between Israel and Hamas continues to grow, Apple and Google have disabled the live traffic data on their respective map applications. According to reports, the move is a response of the companies at the request of Israel Defense Forces, which feared that the details could be used against its troops.
Google has already responded to the request by turning off the live traffic details in Israel and the Gaza Strip on its Google Maps and Waze applications.
“As we have done previously in conflict situations and in response to the evolving situation in the region, we have temporarily disabled the ability to see live traffic conditions and busyness information out of consideration for the safety of local communities,” a Google spokesperson told Bloomberg. “Anyone navigating to a specific place will still get routes and ETAs that take current traffic conditions into account.”
Apple still hasn’t commented on the matter but confirmed the action for Apple Maps on Monday (via The Hill) per IDF’s request.
As mentioned above, the action is not only meant to prevent the revelation of the Israeli armed forces but also to protect civilians from possible attacks based on live traffic conditions. Google implemented the same step in 2022 in Ukraine in response to Russia’s invasion of the said country. The search giant also mentioned the same reason, underlining it should help protect locals by concealing their live traffic data.
