Google's map blunder threatens Ukrainian military security
Updated Google Maps have disclosed the positions of Ukrainian military systems, announced Andrij Kowalenko, head of the Centre for Counteracting Disinformation, on Sunday. Ukrainian authorities have requested the corporation remove this data immediately.
Andrij Kowalenko expressed concern in his Telegram post regarding Google's release of images showing the deployment of Ukrainian military systems.
Imagine such a situation. Google displays a map update showing the location of our military systems (I won’t elaborate) - wrote Kowalenko.
He pointed out that, despite the urgent need to remove this information, the corporation's response might be delayed due to... the weekend.
According to Kowalenko, the Russians have been actively spreading these images, posing a serious threat to the country's safety. Vladimir Putin's army could more easily target objectives on the Ukrainian side of the front due to Google's oversight.
What is wrong with this world? — he asked rhetorically, expressing frustration over the situation.
After publicizing the issue, Google representatives contacted the Ukrainian side and assured them they were working on resolving the problem. Ukrainian authorities expect swift action to remove the sensitive data from the maps. They hope the Russians won't exploit the giant's error, which would benefit them.
As reported by RMF FM, Kowalenko promised that in the future, Ukraine will strengthen its cooperation with Google to avoid similar situations. In September this year, representatives from the Ukrainian Centre for Counteracting Disinformation had already met with employees of the American tech giant.
During the discussions, they explored ways to combat disinformation on the YouTube platform – reports Hromadske.
