Google cracks down on Google Maps scams and fake content

Google on Friday outlined steps it has taken to prevent misinformation from ending up on Google Maps.

Google Maps is a reference for directions, a way to find public transport information and even offers a peek into the past thanks to StreetView. It also provides a wealth of user-contributed information including videos, reviews, ratings, and business information. However, some of this user-provided content may be inaccurate or fraudulent.

With the help of machine learning, the search giant removed millions of fake user-submitted content from Google Maps in 2022, said Ashish Gupta, Google’s engineering director for user-generated content. users, in a blog post. This included 115 million reviews that violated policy, as well as 200 million photos and 7 million videos that were “blurry, low quality, or violate our content policies.” Google also stopped 20 million attempts to create fake business profiles, Gupta said.

Google also shared some specific examples of scam attempts through Google Maps, including a scheme involving images with fake phone numbers for businesses.

“The scammers started superimposing inaccurate phone numbers on the photos provided, hoping to trick unsuspecting victims into calling the scammer instead of the actual company,” Gupta explained.

The company said its machine-learning technology was able to detect these fake images, remove them from Google Maps more quickly and, in many cases, block them before they were published.

To find out more, see how to blur your house on google maps and how Google Maps can help you find a diner.