All thanks to Google's algorithmsThe Washington Post report details how a team of researchers used Google Maps to track the situation in Ukraine.Discuss
Google Maps uses real-time data from smartphones to track traffic conditions. Twitter speculated that the traffic jams recorded by Google were most likely caused by civilians stranded at roadblocks. After Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, Google Maps began showing road closures in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, as well as subway suspensions throughout the city.
The Post writes that Google Maps shows information about subway stations, some of which are now used as shelters. Damian Menscher, a security engineer at Google, notes on Twitter that the use of Google Maps has increased dramatically in Ukraine since the start of the Russian special military operation.
Source: The Verge