Google Map Maker is now open again for edits
Google threw open the gates to the U.S. and many other countries, allowing you again to contribute to Google’s effort to detail the globe.
The re-opening comes after a prank of an Android-style robot peeing on an Apple logo. It got worse after that revelation, with The White House listed among search results for racist search terms.
Google has empowered “top mappers” to take a stronger hand in making edits. Also, Google banned its polygon editor, which likely was used in creating the robot in the prank.
Why this matters: User contributions are responsible for a lot of the great detail found in Google Maps. Unfortunately, that open approach left Maps too open to such pranks. The next challenge is for Google to find the right balance in allowing those with local knowledge to edit maps, while also protecting the app from additional nonsense.