Apple Maps in Israel and Gaza has switched off the display of live traffic data, at the request of the Israel Defense Forces.
Google has done the same for both Google Maps and Waze, as tens of thousands of Israeli troops are expected to move into Gaza in a hunt for Hamas terrorists …
After a surprise attack by Hamas killed around 1,400 people, with more than 200 others taken hostage, Israel plans to move tens of thousands of soldiers into Gaza in an attempt to “eradicate” the terrorist group.
Live traffic data in mapping apps could potentially allow Hamas to monitor the build-up and movement of Israeli troops.
Our sister site 9to5Google yesterday reported that traffic data had been turned off in Google Maps and Waze’s mapping apps.
Both Google Maps and Waze have, for the time being, disabled traffic alerts and data in parts of Israel. The change removes Google Maps’ live traffic data, and also turns off features in Waze […]
The company also further confirmed to Bloomberg that this change was made at the request of the Israeli military “ahead of a potential ground invasion into Gaza.”
Google took the same action when Russia invaded Ukraine.
Apple Maps Israel and Gaza
Both Israeli blog GeekTime and The Hill have confirmed that Apple has taken the same action with Apple Maps in Israel and Gaza.
A test we did shows that although they do not display a similar message to Waze, both Google Maps and Apple Maps have completely removed the possibility of seeing the traffic reports, and their traffic maps are completely empty – so it seems that the new policy prevails over all Google and Apple navigation products in Israel. That is, you have no alternative at this stage for checking traffic loads and hazard alerts.
Timing’s uncertain
Timing for the Israeli action remain uncertain. While the US and other countries support Israel’s right to go in search of Hamas terrorists, there is behind-the-scenes pressure to delay the move in order to allow more time for hostage release negotiations, and to permit more aid into the area.
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