Why people don't talk about Google Maps' privacy issues
Why people don't talk about Google Maps' privacy issues
Title is editorialized because the original is, frankly, clickbait garbage
I am pretty over these videos of people whining about the amount of data big tech collects while refusing to move to alternatives because "muh convenience".
For those unaware, Organic Maps (uses OSM) is really good! It's good for 90% of all ur navigation needs. For the rest 10%, there's no good alternative to google maps unfortunately.
Wow, organic maps is really nice, seems like a much cleaner user interface than OsmAnd, whereas OsmAnd has more options.
I'm glad I came back to this thread. Would never have heard of this!
Can you search for street addresses?
I genuinely don't understand how anyone can believe this, I keep trying it over and over and over and it fails on the absolute most basic of business searches. And some of the directions it gives are just completely nonsensical, and it's voice guidance is absolutely terrible making it fairly easy to miss a Direction if you're not able to be looking at the screen
I hate giving my location to Google but at the end of the day they are still the only GPS navigation that doesn't suck at basic navigation
also a lot of open maps alternatives rely on YOUR contribution to be good instead of a hired team at some corpo.
use it and help out with it and you will have your open mapping app!
Well change can only be done through voicing disapproval first, although Google will most definitely won't stop the data gathering in Maps.
Well It's understandable if a lot of people wouldn't switch over to OSM-based apps. I've tried OSMAnd, and I observe 3 drawbacks. Lengthy public transport calculation (fair since it's computing on the phone), no reviews in POI areas (really hard to catch up on), weird results in transportations
Well change can only be done through voicing disapproval first
Yes, but if you as the consumer never actually stop giving the company your money and/or data then there is little incentive for them to change. Just complaining by itself does absolutely nothing to a company the size of Google. You need to actually follow it up by using your limited power as a consumer to support an alternative. Only then, and if enough people do the same, will the first company consider making changes. If they don't, at least you are supporting an alternative project and helping it to improve so that it may one day feel like less of compromise.
Most people (public and private) never go beyond disapproval, though.
You'll hear people complain about this and that, but never even looking for an alternative.
Which GoogleMaps alternative has user reviews? I downloaded organic maps suggested here and there are no reviews. When I'm in a new town I need to know where I can and where I shouldn't eat, shop or stay. At least there are some icons on organic maps, but that's it.
The "user" reviews on Google Maps (and similar platforms like Yelp) can be fake. Go to the Fake Review Watch channel on YouTube or visit their website if you want to see real examples of this. This is a service that businesses of all sizes, all over the world are paying for - sometimes on a massive scale.
However if you still really want to rely on Google reviews, use GMaps WV.
Normal people: Gladly give google maps access to location data at all times and never think about it
Me: Instinctively worry that on the rare occasions I do use google maps it's somehow identifying me and keeping track of all the locations I look at, so I sometimes look at random places I'm not really interested in just to throw off the algorithms.
But most of the time I prefer osmand.
Or have your phone location turned on and be super boring back and forth. When you deviate use a burner.
You: thinking they weren't already tracking you by a zillion other means including wifi/bt and cellular triangulation
Me: google-free wifi-only phone with all radios/mic/camera physically disconnected unless I need something specific
Normal people: Gladly give google maps access to location data at all times and never think about it
Yet also same normal people get utterly genuinely shock when they see a map of their past locations for the last 3 months.
Do they though?
Use fossdroid
Because we use OsmAnd
Giving it a try since I haven't heard of this.
It seems to have cool options, but for navigation it's just completely unusable.
Who in their right mind would charge a subscription fee to download and/or update maps?
Edit: I only found out about this after my father downloaded the app on his phone, and it said he only has 5 downloads remaining before downloading the map for my state. It's extremely dumb for a "privacy focused maps app"
If you really want to you can just download them outside the app for free. I like that it provides a free option for those with more time than money and a paid option for those with more money than time.
TL;DW?
EDIT: thank you guys for the summaries.
Google saw neat idea, built cool software, users happy. Replace cars to generate map data with phones for utmost accuracy. Trends of maximizing profit from cool technology makes users sad and services suck like other popular sites. Host begs Google not to make maps suck next.
Every free tech service can be (notionally) graded on how much value it offers for how much of your data it sucks up and monetizes. Most of the time we see an initial high value that gradually decreases as the developer gets greedy.
Google maps has managed to become Google "best" service, but it's important to be aware of the scale of problem we'll see if they start squeezing it for increasing profits, since it sucks up so much of our data and manages to be so useful.
That's the bulk of it, but there were other points being made about solving for edge cases that seem less central to the point.
Google has a massive leg up in its technology and use cases so everyone uses it. The guy described it as a "1%" problem (as in the last percent of use cases that are hard to add to the app) and Google doesn't have as many of those.
I've been trying to use osmand but it doesnt have public transport capabilities or live updates which is just too much its missing out on to switch for 100% of tasks
It's fine to use it for 80% of tasks too and try to contribute to it becoming available for 100% of tasks.
I can't use it for 80% I don't even have house numbers on streets Ive added a whole bunch tho so I guess I'm making it better for the future. Idk where to even start with adding live traffic/public transport to it what language does it even use?
"HERE we go" has that. Although i dont think its open source, its probably miles better than google.
Here is trash in my area. You don't want to use it here
I don't see any advantage over google unless its open source.
I find public transport like buses extremely lacking, using google I ended up on the wrong part of the city, best to use local apps for it.
Most people into Privacy, either stumbled upon the niche or work(ed) in some IT or related field. Have tried talking to the family, they are in denial or do not care. Or think that using WhatsApp is a wise choice and/or they are immune to ads. Somehow. It's like talking to a goat who has more desire for habit over sense.
I remember playing with Google Now, thinking it 'neat' and then within seconds realizing that in order for it to work optimally meant giving Google everything. It got me to root my phone and removed Goople Play Services and/or different ROMs. Today, I do not use Google for anything or use front-ends with a VPN or if ever really needed, Tor.
Organic maps or OSMAnd. Plus, I find these two better for cycling and hiking, over Gmaps. If you must use Gmaps briefly, then GMaps WV from F-Droid.
What is the benefit of using GMaps WV over the web client in a browser?
what's a good alternative if one's using GMaps mainly for travelling instead of navigation (i.e. looking up nearby restaurants and getting reviews, public transport, attractions and their opening hours, etc.)?
Organic maps is what I use. Keep in mind OSM is built by the community so in places with lower tech literacy it will incomplete
Used to know someone who looked for cars around a restaurant, or long lines waiting to get into a tiny cafe, asked wait staff for interesting places they liked to go; went into non-chain stores where locals shopped (off the main streets); asked walkers and service station workers for directions. Always had wild stories about what happened, if you could get past their private nature. Weird fucker, unpredictable, never could get used to'm. Likeable enough, though.
I for one don't talk about it... because I don't use Google Maps. I briefly mention OSM or CityMapper when people send me GoogleMaps links but otherwise better to show than tell IMHO.
Well video is about regular people, not us
Here is an alternative Piped link(s):
https://piped.video/watch?v=P2qOiKA56tI&list=WL&index=1
Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.
I'm open-source; check me out at GitHub.