Ukraine war: Google Maps to disable live traffic data for safety reasons

Google has reportedly disabled the live traffic feature on Google Maps in Ukraine in order to protect people in the country in the face of the ongoing Russian invasion. The feature allows users to check traffic situation on roads with colour coding signaling the intensity of traffic movement.

The live traffic feature on Google Maps makes use of anonymous location data collected from Android smartphones to reflect the condition of traffic movement on roads. But several experts say that this data could be potentially affected in the time of war and especially in the face of an invading force.

As such, the live traffic feature on Google Maps has been temporarily suspended in Ukraine even though it remains active in the neighbouring countries. According to Reuters, Google has informed that the decision to suspend the service in the eastern European country comes after consultations with several local and regional authorities.

Meanwhile, the entire Russia-Ukraine conflict is expected to also have massive ramifications for the global economy with crude prices shooting up in recent days and production of vehicles expected to take an impact as well. The cost of exporting vehicles to Europe is also expected to climb.