Google Maps Live Traffic Data Temporarily Disabled in Ukraine
The features were turned off to protect Ukrainians as Russian forces invade.
Police officers at a checkpoint in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 28.
Google Maps over the weekend temporarily disabled tools offering live information about traffic conditions and how busy stores and restaurants are in Ukraine, the search giant confirmed to CNET via email. The move comes after Russian forces invaded the eastern European country last Thursday.
The decision was apparently made to protect Ukrainians after consultation with the nation's regional authorities, as previously reported by Reuters and Vice. The feature uses location data gathered anonymously from Android devices.
It removes the features from global access – if you hover above Ukraine with the traffic layer activated, you'll see it shows traffic conditions in surrounding countries and cuts off in Ukraine. However, drivers in the country will still see live traffic information while using turn-by-turn navigation features, The Verge noted.
Google Maps shows traffic data for most European countries, but it's been temporarily in Ukraine as Russia invades.