Editing Google Maps (section)

=== 2011–2015 ===
On April 19, 2011, Map Maker was added to the American version of Google Maps, allowing any viewer to edit and add changes to Google Maps. This provides Google with local map updates almost in real-time instead of waiting for digital map data companies to release more infrequent updates.
[[File:Google Maps 2015 icon.svg|left|thumb|93x93px|Icon used from 2015 to 2020]]
On January 31, 2012, Google, due to offering its Maps for free, was found guilty of abusing the dominant position of its Google Maps application and ordered by a court to pay a fine and damages to Bottin Cartographer, a French mapping company.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nbcsandiego.com/blogs/press-here/France-Convicts-Google-for-Its-Freedom-138644124.html|title=France Convicts Google for Its Free(dom)|date=February 3, 2012|publisher=NBC San Diego|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018002855/http://www.nbcsandiego.com/blogs/press-here/France-Convicts-Google-for-Its-Freedom-138644124.html|archive-date=October 18, 2014|url-status=live|access-date=October 13, 2014}}</ref> This ruling was overturned on appeal.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.competitionpolicyinternational.com/france-google-wins-court-decision-vs-evermaps/|title=France: Google wins court decision vs Evermaps|date=November 29, 2015|access-date=November 21, 2018|archive-date=October 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022065734/https://www.competitionpolicyinternational.com/france-google-wins-court-decision-vs-evermaps/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In June 2012, Google started mapping the UK's rivers and canals in partnership with the [[Canal & River Trust|Canal and River Trust]]. The company has stated that "it would update the program during the year to allow users to plan trips which include locks, bridges and towpaths along the 2,000 miles of river paths in the UK."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/9340833/Google-begins-mapping-UK-rivers.html|title=Google begins mapping UK rivers|date=June 19, 2012|work=The Daily Telegraph|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120619203057/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/9340833/Google-begins-mapping-UK-rivers.html|archive-date=June 19, 2012|url-status=bot: unknown|access-date=June 20, 2012}}</ref>

[[File:Sign of Google in the centre of Szczecin.jpg|thumb|upright|A monument in the shape of a [[Google Maps pin]] in the center of the city of [[Szczecin]], Poland]]
In December 2012, the Google Maps application was separately made available in the App Store, after Apple removed it from its default installation of the mobile operating system version [[iOS 6]] in September 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2413179,00.asp|title=Google Maps for iOS Hits Apple App Store|publisher=PCMag|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121216005946/http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2413179,00.asp|archive-date=December 16, 2012|url-status=live|access-date=December 12, 2012}}</ref>

On January 29, 2013, Google Maps was updated to include a map of [[North Korea]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/29/google-maps-north-korea-prison-camps-nuclear-complex-gulags_n_2573238.html|title=Google Maps North Korea: Prison Camps, Nuclear Complexes Pinpointed In New Images (PHOTOS)|first=Cavan|last=Sieczkowski|date=January 29, 2013|newspaper=The Huffington Post|access-date=May 20, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130209195946/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/29/google-maps-north-korea-prison-camps-nuclear-complex-gulags_n_2573238.html|archive-date=February 9, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> {{as of|2013|May|3|df=US}}, Google Maps recognizes [[Palestine]] as a country, instead of redirecting to the [[Palestinian territories]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/tech/google-changes-palestinian-location-from-territories-to-palestine/|title=Google changes Palestinian location from 'Territories' to 'Palestine'|date=May 3, 2013|newspaper=Fox News|access-date=May 20, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130521075114/http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/05/03/google-recognizes-palestinian/|archive-date=May 21, 2013|url-status=live|agency=Associated Press}}</ref>

In August 2013, Google Maps removed the Wikipedia Layer, which provided links to Wikipedia content about locations shown in Google Maps using [[Wikipedia:How to add geocodes to articles|Wikipedia geocodes]].<ref>''[http://www.seroundtable.com/wikipedia-layer-gone-google-maps-17342.html Google Maps Drops Wikipedia Layer] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131006235503/http://www.seroundtable.com/wikipedia-layer-gone-google-maps-17342.html|date=October 6, 2013}}.'' [[Search Engine Roundtable]]. (September 10, 2013)</ref>

On April 12, 2014, Google Maps was updated to reflect the [[Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation|annexation of Ukrainian Crimea by Russia]]. Crimea is shown as the [[Republic of Crimea (Russia)|Republic of Crimea]] in Russia and as the [[Autonomous Republic of Crimea]] in Ukraine. All other versions show a dotted disputed border.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/04/12/302337754/google-maps-displays-crimean-border-differently-in-russia-u-s|title=Google Maps Displays Crimean Border Differently In Russia, U.S.|date=April 12, 2014|work=NPR.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141126035554/http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/04/12/302337754/google-maps-displays-crimean-border-differently-in-russia-u-s|archive-date=November 26, 2014|url-status=live|access-date=December 4, 2014}}</ref>

In April 2015, on a map near the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi, the imagery of the Android logo urinating on the Apple logo was added via Map Maker and appeared on Google Maps. The [[vandalism]] was soon removed and Google publicly apologized.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/apr/24/google-maps-hides-an-image-of-the-android-robot-pissing-on-apple|title=Google Maps hides an image of the Android robot urinating on Apple|last1=Hern|first1=Alex|date=April 24, 2015|work=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=May 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150517225620/http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/apr/24/google-maps-hides-an-image-of-the-android-robot-pissing-on-apple|archive-date=May 17, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> However, as a result, Google disabled user moderation on Map Maker, and on May 12, disabled editing worldwide until it could devise a new policy for approving edits and avoiding vandalism.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!category-topic/map-maker/news-and-announcements/crFEbGXJ-HI|title=Map Maker will be temporarily unavailable for editing starting May 12, 2015|last1=Kanakarajan|first1=Pavithra|date=May 22, 2015|access-date=May 10, 2015|publisher=Google Product Forums|archive-date=December 3, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181203081016/https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!category-topic/map-maker/news-and-announcements/crFEbGXJ-HI|url-status=live}}</ref>

On April 29, 2015, users of the classic Google Maps were forwarded to the new Google Maps with the option to be removed from the interface.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://techforluddites.com/google-is-getting-rid-of-classic-maps-for-good/|title=Google Is Getting Rid of Classic Maps for Good (Ugh.)|date=April 29, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150515192655/http://techforluddites.com/google-is-getting-rid-of-classic-maps-for-good/|archive-date=May 15, 2015|url-status=live|access-date=May 14, 2015}}</ref>

On July 14, 2015, the Chinese name for [[Scarborough Shoal]] was removed after a petition from the [[Philippines]] was posted on [[Change.org]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33518673|title=Google Maps alters disputed South China Sea shoal name|work=BBC News|date=July 14, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150714214609/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33518673|archive-date=July 14, 2015|url-status=live|access-date=July 14, 2015}}</ref>