Google Maps errors leading to accidents, Indian alternative needed: Rajya Sabha MP

The spate of increasing accidents due to incorrect navigation data from Google Maps necessitates Indian companies to come up with alternative solutions tailored for the country, BJP Rajya Sabha member Ajeet Madhavrao Gopchade said in Parliament on Monday.

“Incidents due to Google Maps errors in India are becoming a more and more serious issue,” Dr. Gopchade said while bringing up the issue during Zero Hour. “In Kerala recently, two 29-year-old doctors regretfully died when they were navigating using Google Maps and their car fell into the Periyar river. There was a similar incident in Bareilly [in Uttar Pradesh], when a car fell into a river while following Google Maps directions.”

These incidents highlight “the dangerous consequences of over-reliance on technological solutions”, the MP said, adding: “These incidents highlight that directions on Google Maps are not always correct.”

Dr. Gopchade called for a collaboration between Indian start-ups, firms and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), to develop ‘swadeshi’ mapping solutions tailored for local needs. This will reduce “our reliance on global platforms like Google Maps”, Dr. Gopchade said.

“Section 43(a) of the Information Technology Act provides that all entities must protect the security of their users’ data,” Dr. Gopchade added. “The aim of this is to ensure that personal and sensitive data is kept secure, and to insure against any unauthorised misuse of data. Entities like Google Maps have technical capabilities, but they have neglectfully failed in data accuracy and security. They can be held legally responsible.”

As The Hindu reported last December, Google Maps errors in remote areas and highways have led to many people finding themselves stranded, falling off incomplete bridges, turning into roads that were washed away from flooding, and more. The firm said in a statement that it takes “user safety and information quality incredibly seriously”, and that it was working on simplifying reporting and alerts for users in cases of lower visibility in winters and backed up traffic, and that it was continuously updating its map data each day.