Issues Related to Crowdsourcing on Digital Maps

"For centuries, people have relied on maps to figure out where they are and where they're going. But today's digital maps - seemingly more precise than ever - aren't always as dependable as they appear.

"At the end of August, for instance, Snapchat users woke up early to find the app's internal map had renamed New York City with the anti-Semitic label 'Jewtropolis.' In Washington, D.C., Google Maps incorrectly renamed a Senate office building after the late Sen. John McCain a few days after his death on Aug. 25. Researchers have found numerous fake business listings in Google Maps for plumbers and hotels - apparent attempts to game search results and juice referral traffic.

"Digital maps are a modern uber-convenience, capable of pinpointing nearby landmarks, shops and restaurants, highlighting traffic jams and navigating you to destinations across the country. Google, Apple and a variety of lesser-known companies constantly update these real world representations using a variety of sophisticated tools, from satellites in orbit to the phone in your hand.

"But there's another important input: crowdsourced data submitted by ordinary people, which can make today's maps more like Wikipedia than Rand McNally. . . ."

A recent article published in The Bulletin, of Norwich, CT, highlighted some of the issues related to user-generated updates on maps of various locales.

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The Bulletin: With grid now crowdsourced, digital maps can steer you wrong (28 SEP 18)