Google Maps fails users in West Bank: investigation

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- An investigation by monthly U.S. magazine Wired found that Google Maps can be near impossible to use in the West Bank, especially since the start of the conflict between Israeli and Palestinians, according to a report by TechCrunch on Monday.

Users told the publication that the navigation app would direct them into walls, fail to account for checkpoints, or steer them onto restricted roads leading to Israeli settlements, which can be dangerous for Palestinian users to drive on, the report said.

Many people in the West Bank have stopped using Google Maps entirely, the source said.

A Google spokesperson told Wired that the company does not distinguish between Israeli and Palestinian roads since that would require knowing the citizenship status of residents, the report said.

The spokesperson also said that the company is constantly working to improve its West Bank services. ■