Google made the change in an effort to help keep Ukrainians safe and after consultations with local officials, the company said
Google Maps has blocked two features in Ukraine that provide information to users in real time, the company confirmed on Sunday.
The disabled features include Google Maps' live traffic overlay — a feature some researchers have used to monitor the conflict from afar — as well as Live Busyness, a feature that displays how popular a location may be at a given time.
Google made the change in an effort to help keep Ukrainians safe and after consultations with local officials, the company said.
Traffic updates are still available in Ukraine while using Google Maps' navigation mode, Google said.
Google Maps seems to have become an unlikely tool — both for civilians and soldiers on the ground in Ukraine, as well as outsiders tracking the devastating situation.
Along with the prevalence of social media, people in Ukraine are able to get their stories out to thousands, if not millions of people from around the globe, providing insight and information that outsiders would typically have access to by way of traditional news outlets.
