How Google Maps Makes It Harder for Palestinians to Navigate the West Bank

Residents in the West Bank have long complained that missing and outdated data on Google Maps make the app unreliable and sometimes difficult to use.

The start of the war in Gaza in October of last year has made problems with the app even worse for drivers such as Diana Buttu .

A Google spokesperson says the app has added about 5,000 miles of roads in West Bank and Gaza since 2021 .

Google Maps users in the West Bank say they were accustomed to receiving potentially unsafe directions.

One persistent issue they point to is the fact that Google doesn’t distinguish between unrestricted roads and ones that are only permitted to be used by Israelis , such as those leading to and from Israeli settlements.

Google says the company is working to address the issue.

Apple Maps is helpful in several West Bank cities, but it's exclusive to iPhones , which are relatively rare in the territory.

Google-owned Waze is another option, but users who spoke with WIRED say they have generally shied away from the app because it was founded in Israel .

Many Palestinians have turned to Telegram channels, WhatsApp chats, Facebook groups and an independent app called Azmeh .