March 14
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Dear sir,
This month of March, I was getting very frustrated with Google Maps, I could no longer click on a map in Google search and be taken straight to Google Maps and begin navigation and was being taken to another screen asking me to choose if I wanted to use my Gmail or Facebook profiles to use Google Maps.
After a bit of investigation, thanks to Google, I have now found out what the problem is. In fact, it’s a change to the way we use Google Maps, and the bad news it’s here to stay.
So this is what I discovered, which I hope is useful to readers.
New EU legislation has brought changes for internet users in Europe, including alterations to the way search results appear on Google. Previously, users could search for addresses or locations on Google and immediately see Google Maps pop up in the results, allowing them to be taken to the Maps page with one click.
However, EU and EEA residents no longer see this function since early March due to new EU regulations aimed at reducing the ‘gatekeeping’ power of tech giants. Now when searching for a specific address on your laptop or computer, you will still see a small map in the centre of the screen, but you will not be able to click on the map and be taken directly to Google Maps. The ‘Maps’ button that used to appear below the search bar, along with ‘images’ or ‘news’, no longer appears. Instead, you need to go to the website www.google.com/maps or click ‘directions’ to use the Maps function.
The change is most noticeable on a laptop or tablet. When searching for an address on a smartphone, users may still be redirected to the Google Maps app when clicking the map image.
Why was this change made? In 2022, the Digital Markets Act (DMA) was voted on, and its regulations became enforceable on Wednesday, March 6.
The legislation aims to manage competition and end the domination of large tech companies, such as Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft and TikTok within the European market. These tech giants have been accused of promoting their own services over those of competitors and acting as gatekeepers to prevent other companies from entering or growing in the market. The goal is to offer consumers more options. For example, when searching for nearby bars or restaurants, the results used to take users directly to Google Maps instead of other sites, such as Yelp.
I hope this helps readers of your excellent newspaper understand the problem.
Kind regards
Alexandra Blair