How Google Remapped the World | WSJ Tech Behind
Google Maps helps more than 1 billion people a month get around. Beneath the simple interface, Google is pulling billions of data points to get the most accurate route for users. After 17 years in users’ hands, mapping technology continues to advance and get more accurate.
WSJ explains how Google Maps uses advanced technology like satellites, GPS data and photogrammetry to help you get from point A to point B.
Illustration: Adele Morgan
0:00 There are roughly 50 million updates a day to Google Maps
0:59 Google Maps’ aggressive acquisitions
2:16 How satellites, aerial imagery and photogrammetry are used
6:10 Google Maps’ privacy concerns
7:40 The future of mapping
Tech Behind
'The Tech Behind' explores the amazing engineering, computing, science and algorithms that power our favorite tech.
#Google #GoogleMaps #WSJ
As a computer scientist, Google Maps for me is just a marvel of software engineering, creativity and talent. All gathered at one place. Google Maps is an amazing tool.
yeah, surely there is privacy issues and etc, but the trade off is just too good, it makes my life so much easy, I don't care if Google executives get filthy rich
@@Random17Game Google Maps significantly facilitates human's life meaning that privacy issues can't cancel benefits provided by this application but toxic folks scream everywhere about privacy blah-blah-blah, tbh, it's funny to hear it
I ablsolutely adore google maps. It is my favorite online addiction. But I also support checking in on it and making sure we have some agreed upon level of privacy from these powerful corporations. Oversight is important. And who knows what the future holds. Many of the freedoms we assume we have today could easily dissappear with new technologies. Lets make sure we are balancing everything to make a better world for everybody.
Agreed.
it would be nice if they make it so their phone app quit switching my routes because it thought one was faster when i went to Disneyworld yes faster but i didn't have change to pay the tolls
Pretty incredible technology. I rely 100% on Google Maps for navigation to unknown places. But with convenience and free use comes the consequence of giving up 100% privacy.
Eh. Cell tower data still tracks you, even if you never used Google Maps.
@@Anthony-db7cs that's fair
yeah, surely there is privacy issues and etc, but the trade off is just too good, it makes my life so much easy, I don't care if Google executives get filthy rich tbh
@@Anthony-db7cs right? people forget u got a phone number and a sim card that can be tracked and located. not hard
For the incredible value Google Maps provide, the data you share with Google is worth it.
People don't realize how magical google map is. It would be the first software I would pay for if it were being sold. But alas, it is free, for a small compromise of privacy. I have worked in Saudi Arabia for more than 10 years and at the time that there was no smartphones, all we could do was ask strangers for direction. Being an introvert, asking people was one of my most dreaded things to do. Fast forward around 2012 and I didn't have to ask strangers anymore even if I was in the middle of the desert.
I would legit pay $250 a year for Google maps. It's so much better than every competitor that even if every other one was still free I would legit pay a subscription of $250. However, apparently Google thinks it's worth it to give it to me for no charge in exchange for showing me ads and learning from my searches.
I love privacy as much as the next guy and I even deleted my facebook, but Google Maps data is anonymized anyway and their contract and terms and conditions clearly State what it can and cannot be used for, and making Maps better is 95% of it. So I'm good with letting them know my location.
The problem is that they can’t make it paid because then the consumers will decrease drastically impacting the amount of data coming from them
Like everything else in the world, it only seems magical to people who don't know what is going on. It's just simply AJAX paired with the most powerful data centers and CDNs in the world.
@@edenassos I don't think you can reasonably say it's just "simply" anything. Not even if you're the developer of a project of this scale. It's an incredible feat of engineering and software design to get results this detailed so quickly in so many different form factors.
It's insane how this is made possible. Modern technologies really is the modern version of alchemy.
sadly such information means it is easily deleted. Paper maps last for centuries. A few streets in my area already lost older street view that got deleted.
@@ligametis If they're printed on acid-free paper, stored properly, don't get burned/torn/lost, etc, then paper maps can last for centuries. Most of them don't.
@@ligametis Paper maps last centuries, but almost none does because you can rip a paper up pretty easily.
@@shadowkillz9606 They do last in libraries and they can be digitized as pdf or similar. Problem with google is that it is a private online service. It goes bankrupt, changes some things and old maps can get deleted, become totally inaccessible.
Alchemy never worked 😒
As a software engineer, google maps has always facinated me, more so than their search. We learn the basics of routing algorithm or image geotaging or storing geo data in grids, but this is at such massive scale... I don't know how they do it.
But for consideration too is SRI TerraVision which was earlier than the "billion dollar code"
Same! It is pretty accurate and it's very fast too. Like how did they convert such a big analogue and complex data into digital ones then compute those humongous streams of data to create a real-time result!!
Magic
i have a friend thats on the google maps team! I'll have to send this to him :p
Pfft. Not that hard dude. I could do it in 30 days tops.
A huge thank you to Google Maps! I would have missed out on a lot of meaningful, social experiences in my life if not for that app. It has been a fantastic way to discover local interesting places to visit. Additionally, satellite view makes me feel more connected to the land around me than the default layout has.
Yeah, you are absolutely right. 👍👍
cannot imagine life without GoogleMaps. There are even days that I checkout places and traffic situations in different cities even though I'm not planning to drive there.
I'm an avid Google Maps user. I regularly contribute data to the platform in the form of business information (hours, menus, reviews) and imagery (photo spheres and photos). I have willingly allowed location access to the app for the last 2 or so years, so they know roughly where I've been in all of that time since. Why do I do this? I like being able to see where I've been in my adventures and travelling. I won't say that Google probably doesn't use this data against me, but tech giants are gathering this data anyways through other sources, so I'm okay with sharing it firsthand.
Well at least you understand what is being done, maybe not the full details but this is life for everyone now. We just gotta accept it!
Same here. I love Timeline feature. Plus, it shows that I had visited a restaurant 4 years ago. I might not even remember, but it also shows pictures I took at the time, and brings back those memories. I also sometimes get drunk and forget which all places I visited the previous nights, and timeline shows me when, how long and by what means I traveled. I know they are taking the data, but personally it's worth it.
And then they delete that street view when street location changes or delete photos like with Panoramio....
Blink twice if Google is holding a gun against your temple.
You provide info about your business and think that it's a contribution? Funny
I remember being so blown away by the satellite imagery when I saw my city on Google Maps back in 2007. I was also blown away a week ago when I realised my city had a 3D view on Google Earth.
Google Maps is hands down the best application.
Google maps and google lens are the future
@@robertmusil1107 other search engines like Yandex already have better working alternative to lens.
I Speak GOOGLE Translate😎💯
@@ligametis Yandex WHO? Irrelevant is all they are
Its interesting hearing tech developers talk about privacy concerns and issues, because so often it seems to be something that never even occurred to them that people might be uncomfortable with. Not in a way that they're being malicious, but rather they didn't cinsider that people would have a problem with the data collection. Its a very different mondset than most ofther people seem to have
It's not really up to the developers. They may have to implement the tracking and such, but that's their job. I they wouldn't, they could get fired. Many game developers really live for their job, but because higher-ups want and need their money, developers are forced to release a bad game.
it's the other way around: tech developers are close to the ONLY ones taking privacy seriously in any way. Your average ig or tiktok user doesn't seem to give a flying f about their privacy lol. Privacy matters are effectively relegated to esoteric topics judging by how most people easily give it away without seemingly any concern.
@@ShaferHart Everyone is different, but there's definitely enough mindful experts who have nothing to gain from breaching privacy, that would rather not have it be a concern.
As a Google Streetview Photographer, I love seeing more creative content being created around Google Maps. Now it's time for businesses to capitalize on the Immersive view once it's available.
what does a Google street view photographer do? find interesting locations and screenshot?
Google maps gives me confidence in front of my parents. I got this, Mom!
I think this is one of the most important technologies humankind has developed in history and I think the tech behind this is incredible, and all of this in a simple app you can use anytime! I travelled do another country for the first time, few years ago, and when I arrived, in no time I was driving to my hotel, using maps... When you stop to think about it. It blows your mind
THE MAN BEHIND THIS IS GENIUS I NEVER ASK FOR LOCATION WHEN AM LOST NO MORE. Congrats for documenting this.
I totally remember traveling around the world using GOOGLE EARTH when it first came out!! it was so much fun exploring random cities outside the USA
I still remember printing out directions on MapQuest. How far we've come !
I like the data on if a place is busier than usual or not
This is so interesting. I can only imagine how complex it is to combine all those sources of information and make them work seamlessly.
firstly I would like to wish you well and to say a huge thank you for uploading these videos as they have been an invaluable resource to
I honestly couldn't give two sh**s about whether some guy at Google knows where I have been or whether I like to go to Starbucks in the morning. Google Maps is an incredible technology that has saved me hundreds, if not thousands, of hours. I will gladly give up some data for me to be able to use that service free of charge.
Google maps is a project of the century, those people truly changed the world for good.
Amazing video again WSJ. I personal love Google Maps and it has helped me many times. Love the new features they continue to add and the easier convience they work on for all users. I do see how the privacy is a risk and that I personal feel they do care and would not be this big of company without knowing they have to protect you. Why do so many people rely on them, if they were not protecting your privacy. I feel they have their standards and policies in place to create the right balance of privacy for all users. I also know the user too needs to be careful on how much they share and needs to keep their information private but keeping their accounts up-to-date with safety and privacy updates.
And it's still getting better. Those engineers deserve a raise
It's rather disingenuous of Google to downplay (to the point of not mentioning it) just how much of the Google Maps base layer is made up of contributions from individual people. In this article it is suggested that the base layer map, i.e. the map composed of lines and polygons denoting roads, buildings, land uses, etc to which everything else 'snaps', is generated from the measuring and comparing of what can be seen in the satellite photography and extrapolated via photogrammetry. This is not the case. Every line on Google Maps has been drawn by hand, and almost every person who drew those lines is not an employee of Google. This was originally done via the Google Map Maker Program which was abruptly closed down after a tiny handful of participants 'sabotaged' the map in some mildly humorous ways. That program gave authorised participants full access to edit the base layer map but since it's closure the only way to edit the map is via the 'report a problem' feature which is, whilst being extremely limited in its functionality, is at least available to anyone and everyone. My personal contribution, albeit small in terms of the global scale of the mapping exercise, was to effectively build the map of Scotland's major cities (except Dundee which I never got the time to get to before Map Maker's closure). When I started it the map of the largest city in Scotland was unusable for navigation with entire districts being without mapped roads, often even when there were roads they had no names or numbering, major motorways were missing or had on/off ramps missing, and Street View coverage was resultantly poor. The map of Scotland, and indeed anywhere you look on Google Maps, is a result of individual people drawing it, not some magical algorithm that makes it all happen. The Google guy in the vids commute is only possible via Google Maps because someone else drew it for free. It would have been nice for him to acknowledge that. Anyway, should you like to test out what I've said go on to Google Maps and find a place that has good Street View coverage, now look for a part of the map that hasn't mapped existing public roads (the roads might have been built or reconfigured since the last mapper who looked here). Now drop a pin on that unmapped public road and report a data problem, follow the steps to suggest a missing road, draw the missing road in the screen provided, submit the edit, and wait for approval. If approved you will now see Street View data 'snap' to that road thus demonstrating that without user contributions it doesn't matter how much other data Google has - they can't utilise it if you haven't drawn the map for them.
Great insight, that does seem disingenuous of Google, or of WSJ more likely
While I don’t doubt your contribution to the maps, you’re over exaggerating the proportion of data/effort that made Google Maps what it is today. Just because Google Maps in early 2000s didn’t expand to Scotland doesn’t mean they weren’t working on algorithms to increase the scalability of the mapping services. If individual contributions are such a big part of it, then why haven’t we seen an open source global mapping services with similar functions? Just because you don’t understand the operations happening in the background and can only see from your own perspective, doesn’t mean your own perspective is true.
@@YT-mp7ei I'm talking about the here and now today not just when the Map Maker Program was running (it having been permanently closed in 2015). Even today I am participating in a project Google emailed me (as a former participant and Regional Lead in the Map Maker Program) and specifically asked me to take part in, this project is to map several developing nations across the globe where Google Maps base layer map doesn't exist. I and all the other participants are the ones physically drawing the map. The roads I add via the specific web-based map editing program I have access to as an invitied contributor are what appears today on Google Maps. If the roads I have drawn, and continue to draw, went unmapped then the road name can't be assigned meaning addresses cannot not listed meaning individual business and organisation listings can't be added and Street View data can't be added because there is nothing on the map for all that data to be assigned to. Whether you choose to accept the reality of this is neither here nor there, but nowehere have I given you any reason to deride me in the manner you have and I would ask that you refrain from, let's be charitable here and say, engaging with my comments any further. Many thanks.
@@vicente3j Very fair point, you're probably right about the story here being more a result WSJ editorial focus on what they deemed the interestingpart of it, but you'd think Google would see the value in advertising the fact that they have such a large and dedicated group of contributors worldwide who have effectively drawn their map for them.
Totally agree with you. I am making contribution to Google maps for almost 8 years now. Added many roads by drawing them on maps.
Google Maps is probably my fave app for traveling!
It Worked perfectly after trying other methods this one was the best one, Thanks.
I can say that Google maps is like a travel guide for me whenever i visit any new location, it is fantastic tool huge thank you to Google team for this amazing unbelievable tool. 👍👍
while Apple maps interface is so smooth, i still prefer to use Google Maps due to it's accuracy and able to map locations almost everywhere. like literally even when i climbed mt fuji,lol
Amazing technology and creativity. Great solution for daily life problem and its free. Love it!
Google Maps is one of the best things out there. It changes how people transport and travel
Gotta LOVE Google and it's engineering
Maps became my best friend as a New Yorker back in 2011-2012 going to HS and track meets. I saw the slow popularity of using such tool
What an insane kind of intelligence these people have. It's easy to use maps, even easier to criticize Google but we shd think the unimaginable, magical work they have done bringing the world so near.
Worth watching “The Billion Dollar Code” (on Netflix) to understand the early history of Google Earth. Suspect WSJ doesn’t reference in the story as Google is an active contributor to the story.
Congratulations everyone.. wonderfull initiatives.. excellent steps
Incredibly knowledgeable and we'll-spoken teacher. Nice tutorials comfortableness with the subject makes starting soft real exciting!!
I remember having to use paper maps back in the day, having to stop the car every 5 minutes to check where I was. And then having to buy a new map book every year. Yikes.
Remember the days we would use a Tom Tom or Mapquest ?
We all are getting tracked every second of our lives. Congratulations 🎉🎊🍾🎈
thank you so much! do you by chance have a link for element 3d for windows? I have tried a ton of links but they’re broken and yt has been taking down videos with links left and right. You’re the only KZheadr I trust when it comes to downloading these things. Thank you!
I love to just look at random cities and places on Google Maps. So interesting! Can't believe that it's free.
I love that they filmed this in South Africa
Google maps was my tour guide in Japan I did not encounter any problem at all even with using the local trains ❤️❤️❤️
Nothing's changed life like Maps. It is wildly amazing
As an industrial realtor .... Can't imagine life without gmaps and earth 🌎
There are other map services. You can also do mapping yourself. There are also detailed maps from even 1800s
Why am i going to use a map from 1800’s? They probably dont even have the same roads as we do now
@@ling636 there would be other ways than Google maps. It isn't some extraordinary thing without alternatives.
@@ligametis It actually is an incredible technology though
@@ligametis There are many other inferior map service like Yandex, horrible quality.
This is absolutely incredible
Godlike Tutorial THANK YOU
Last 12sec.. awesome camera angle and music.. was on repeat
TNice tutorials was very helpful thankyou.
One cannot underestimate what Google Maps did for us all. Thx Google!
The time to destination is like 99% always right for me, even with traffic. It's so usefull.
I love google maps satellite view ❤️❤️
Man this is really cool!
This video truly saved my life
Proud to be a contributer
I seem to remember these layers being available back in the 1990's with ARC/INFO although without the same level of detail. And of course, "streetview" was unheard of back then. But as with so many innovations, Google may not have been the first but they sure picked up the ball and ran with it.
Nope, Google never picked up the ball, they stole the ball. What we now know as Google Maps was a German creation/invention and originally called TerraVision.
Very cool! The only thing I wish is that you could tell it that you want to bike and take the train/buses. It only gives you a walk option for that. I also would like to see some options for electric personal devices like e-scooters, EUC's, e-bikes, and others. Those are definitely zippier than just walking or riding a normal bike.
In the Netherlands it does give you biking routes
And in Asia it gives you motorbike times and routes as the car traffic is so bad
One of the best app invented so very useful i discover places
I use google maps for so many things, as a developer working on a app which involves location data, google maps is the best, there API is powerful and easy to use. Thanks Google
Amazing technology. As a resident in a developing country, I feel helped with Google Maps to travel to new area.
While I don't agree with Google's privacy practices in general, Maps is the only product I am ok with giving my location and privacy details because it's so helpful and it gives me so much in return. Especially if you move to a new country and you have no idea about places, locations, streets where you need to go. I also try to contribute when Google asks me about locations I've been to or visited. It's made life so much easier and makes me feel like not being lost in a new country.
Amazing tech !😍
Fantastic ...
Incredible stuff!! Thanks 🙏 GOOGLE MAPS
I love Google Maps and use its navigation and business reviews and info on an almost daily basis. I also contribute regularly to the platform, I have uploaded over 2000 photos and they have been viewed over 10 million times.
It’s very important to talk about GoogleMaps’s accuracy in predicting traffic. It’s a shame that WSJ didn’t mention one word about it 😖
They had a whole section on it
Does anyone remember the pilots that would fly around and take aerial photos of houses and show up on your doorstep with a glossy 16x24 photo of your house that they would try and sell you? They all went out of business when Maps came about and you could just view, or print (at lower resolution than the photo) the pic of yours house.
Awesome piece Of engineering I use google earth for stress relief
Thanks for the best report
I think Google map is amazing, i have to say THANK YOU. KEEP UP YOU GREAT INNOVATION.
For as wonderful as it is, it's also rather miserable to use once you get outside most cities. Was on a recent trip to New Mexico from Texas, and it kept trying to put me on routes that required a 4x4 (even though I drive a sedan) to save miles and time, kept getting the speed limit wrong (when it showed one at all) and would confuse White Sands (the city) with White Sands NP, even when the latter was entered fully spelled out. Plenty of room for improvement here for someone.
Amazing tutorial. I just ca from lmms (a free daw software) and i decided to switch since it didn’t offer enough convenience. It was
Maps use to be domain of Kings and Nobles. Now it is available to anyone with an easy swipe and is accurate to the minute. We need to appreciate it rather than let authorities add more restriction to it.
Thank you!
7:18 why is the phone mount attached to the car screen??
my favourite app of all time. If I’m bored, I just casually browse Google Maps to see the world
It's literally the most important technological invention we've done in the past few decades. It's not just software, it's the whole system and the quality of life improvement it offers.
Amazing technology , one most of us use everyday
it's finally ti. i'm ready to learn.
Impressive and such a useful product that I use every day 😃 The mapping process was interesting, I'm curious how ML helps in this effort.
One of the best service ever made for the mankind. It’s priceless.
Well Done 💚
One of the most usefull apps!
Great topic, but I just wished it was more in depth. How do they store this data? Which techniques do they use to automate data generation like the new traffic signs they detect? How do they query this data so fast? Which algorithms do they use for each type of routing? How and how often do they get the satellite vs aerial balloon data? So many fastinating questions.
It's really good in most places I've travelled to, but they really need to try harder in Paris.... Just too many businesses either closed showing as open, or wrongly located, plus underground trains that are not in operation, shown as operational, even train station located wrongly... I've even turned to Apple maps because I was so helpless.
Nice video.
One of my essential apps
I don't understand these concerns about privacy. We've been talking about them for decades. And for decades, tech companies have been collecting data about us and our behavior, online and off. But in those decades I cannot think of a single time where I have been bothered or inconvenienced by this collecting of my data.
Then you have never had a collection agency start badgering you for non-payment of $40k line of credit you never took out. Or received a letter from Equifax suggesting you need to start monitoring your credit report (for a fee) to protect against identity theft because someone has breach their wimpy database security.
One of the best tool ever made for common people. Thanks Google!
amazing
Much love
Google Maps is one of the most revolutionary developments of the modern era.
0:16 Am I seeing this right? Is the suction part of the phone holder attached to the center of the car display pannel???
Can't imagine being on a street without google maps
Google Maps is one of those underated marvelous technologies that changed everything in the last ten years. Along with AR and VR this will be a whole new industry for games, shopping, sports and learning.
7:21 Arent we gonna talk about that phone holder on a complete smart display
Google Maps service to mankind.Cheers!!
I would be lost in this world without Google maps. I love Google.
Nice Video!