Google is hoping that shutting down Map Maker will prevent spam from happening on their Map database, but unfortunately, the opposite is bound to happen. People have been anonymously changing the names of various businesses, and one time even attacked a plethora of insurance companies in order to steal their leads. Without Map Maker, users will still be able to do this, it just may be more hidden and not as easily accessible, making the shut down a bit redundant.
Key Takeaways:
- Google’s Map Maker was highly vulnerable to spam, which in the end resulted in its shut-down, instituted in March 2017.
- Unfortunately, the “suggest an edit” listing on Google Maps still leaves an avenue for unscrupulous editors to nefariously tweak business listings.
- An important distinction of Map Maker was the fact that the browser history listed the change-makers name and a list of their edits.
“With Google Maps, however, the users are completely anonymous, and there is no way for anyone, other than Google, to see what types of edits they have made in the past and who else they may have sabotaged.”
Read more: https://searchengineland.com/google-shutting-map-maker-terrify-smbs-265090
