Google Maps and Tripadvisor suspend comments on some Russian restaurants, hijacked by Ukrainians
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Google has blocked the addition of comments, photos and videos on its Maps mapping service in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, as has the Tripadvisor platform on the listings of certain restaurants and hotels in Russia.
Both services faced a campaign from Ukrainian activists who were using their “notices” section to try to alert Russians to their leaders’ orchestrated invasion of Ukraine.
“Faced with a recent increase in posts about the war in Ukraine on Google Maps, we have implemented additional protections to monitor and ban content that violates our rules,” a Google spokeswoman told AFP.
The search engine said it was aware that people were trying to communicate about the war via Google Maps, but reminds that its tools are not designed for this use.
Hacking group Anonymous, which this week claimed responsibility for a cyberattack that crippled the sites of several Russian media outlets, encouraged people in Ukraine on Monday to “explain what is happening” in that country through the back door.
“Go to Google Maps. Type ”Russia”. Find a restaurant or business and leave a comment,” an Anonymous account wrote on Twitter.
For example, he suggested writing: “The food was awesome! Unfortunately, Putin spoiled our appetite by invading Ukraine. Stand up to your dictator, stop killing innocent people! Your government is lying to you. Resist!”
Independent media have become partly inaccessible in Russia, as Russian authorities have tightened their grip on critical voices since the invasion of Ukraine.
Tripadvisor confirmed that it spotted an influx of reviews on Monday evening that violated its rules, which only allow authentic reviews.
The site specializing in tourist reviews and advice has therefore temporarily suspended the addition of reviews to the listings of dozens of restaurants and hotels in Russia.
Instead, “we have created sections on our forums for people located in Ukraine who want to share in real time what is happening in the country,” said Steve Kaufer, CEO of Tripadvisor, in an open letter published Thursday. .Depending on the platform, their messages will have more chances of being read than in the comments on an establishment.