This is happening on both mobile and desktop. I tried on multiple browsers, with VPN and without VPN.
This is terrible. Google maps controls online reviews for places and businesses where I live (and I assume most of the world these days). Even Yelp has mostly been abandoned.
The enshittification continues.
It still seems to work if you use the official Google maps app without a Google account. I set up maps on a separate GrapheneOS profile.
Not sure how much of a solution this is since it’s still sending back data to Google. I can’t think of a solution for desktop and for anyone without GrapheneOS.
Yeah I’m doing the same for my maps and navigation needs.
The solution is to stop using Google products. There is no way to use them with any semblance of privacy. Their entire business model depends on spying on you. Get off their products ASAP and start learning to make do with products from companies and groups that aren’t evil.
They are still visible with the Gmaps WV app, let’s see for how long though
A solution to what problem ?
You wanna see rating or make review ?
Just see reviews.
Have a separate account which is only used for it. It’s a hassle, but the only real viable solution. You can also use this account whenever a service forces login, so there’s the future benefit of setting it up. Though be vary to not make it a frequent occurrence, only when necessary.
The problem with this is at the very least you’ll have to keep maintaining a phone number or a jmp.chat number. That’s an added cost.
If you use a VPN or often change your IP, it will often prompt you to keep verifying your account via a number.
It’s a burner email, treat as such. Just use smspool number, they provide re-verification for additional price if need be; no upkeep. Though I wouldn’t recommend using it on anything mission critical, only burner non important acc
Browsing on Google Maps was never anonymous. Please don’t conflate anonymity with privacy.
that’s not true for old google account. I have 3 olds ones and I never use any phone number.
Maybe using a yubikey could also bypass that.
Google Maps nerfed basic functionality like seeing reviews unless you sign into a Google account
If true, that’s both shitty and petty, but also has a big silver lining IMO.
Google Maps has been probably the most difficult service to detach from for me personally (and to many other’s I’ve talked with). It provides a lot of convenience so I put up with the privacy costs of using it in a limited way.
I try alternatives often (and use them daily), but there is always some useful feature lacking. The least bad option I’ve found for my own usage is Apple Maps (it has almost all the features I get value from in Google maps). The one thing I still miss about Google Maps when using Apple Maps are reviews and ratings. Google–by being shitty and petty–has unintentionally removed the last comparative advantage they had in my eyes, which makes it a bit easier to walk away from them.
Unfortunately, it’s still not something I can walk away from. Reviews are controlled by the network effect and the significant majority of reviews are on Google. I’d be giving up reviews by giving up Google Maps, which can be very financially punitive. Trying to find an honest mechanic or an honest dentist, for example, is difficult enough already.
Google knows they now control online reviews and can now start degrading consumer features to bring in more data and ad revenue. This is textbook enshittification strategy. Just like other network effect products, ditching the product is not enough. You need to get most people to ditch it and that’s unlikely to happen without another catalyst since most people don’t care or are completely oblivious to digital privacy. Even other big tech companies haven’t been able to compete with Google Maps.
Even if an open source decentralized service popped up, I have heavy doubts anyone will use it, making it worthless regardless of technical merits. We’ll probably need something akin to Piped for YouTube, but for some Maps features like reviews and live traffic, if that is even possible.
I’ve gotten many good recommendations from my home town’s subreddit.
Nevermind, it also shows the same behavior now
Even if Waze is also bad in terms of privacy, it shouldn’t have even been allowed to be bought by Google.
It was the only decent competitor in terms of traffic data.
Hopefully, Comaps and the other FOSS alternatives can start attacking this problem, because without traffic data, I believe Maps will always stay king unfortunately.
An article on this topic:
Time to look into CoMaps (FOSS Navigation, Organic Maps fork)