The genius way Google Maps knows the traffic

Ever wonder how Google Maps knows exactly how much traffic is on any road before you're even on it? Their secret weapon is Android phones, and LOTS of them.

[Dan-codes]

I throw my phone across my yard 100 times a day to confuse the algorithm.

[joshswart]

I seem to remember hearing a story about someone pulling a wagon of phones down a street to either run the experiment, or to mess with Google maps. Both are valid use cases in my opinion.

[Ikantspell]

Mega data is super scarey. If they know where all the phones are they know your associations, your rutienes and way more information than I'm comfortable with. I really wonder what we give up to have celphones and gmail and stuff. Sometimes I wish a privacy based system really existed.

[domhamai]

I guessplained this to my mum a few weeks ago… thanks for confirming my theory 😂

[HakAtIt]

So when Google maps debuted, I was driving a lot for work using this map, before it had the "navigation" part (which they made as a separate app, but now the two are nearly one app). I literally sent feedback nearly daily suggesting that they do this.
Then Waze came out with this incredible feature. It used user data to estimate the traffic condition... Brilliant.. duh...the people in traffic are the feedback.
Then google bought waze..
This was a Waze thing first.
But, you did a brilliant job showing how Google with some 8 billion devices, is able to collect an insane amount of information.

[josejj]

That’s why I carry 50 android phones in my trunk, that way google always things there’s traffic on my area and sends people the other way.

[mhamademad]

thats why i installed GraphenOS, de-googled my pixel phone...

[codenflowin]

This is our phones know when they are in traffic congestion

[simonlinser]

It's so brilliant, it's terrible. Just wait until geofencing is like an actual fence and as soon as you cross it you get lit up by the robo popo. Lol

[andrewdunbar]

Not quite literally "every" Google phone. If you bought an Android phone in mainland China it will have zero Google stuff including no Google Services. I'd be 99% sure it's actually Google Services that's sending your GPS. Also in China GPS is scrambled. There might be some local equivalent doing the same thing.

[ClaytonLivsey]

if i have an iphone, what information does an android send about me to google in this situation? how do they do it? please clarify.

[ItsMacBla]

Well I am fucked. But the nothing phone 1 is sooo good to look at

[Weed]

ive known this shit since i was like 12 and im 21 now

[marcospiotto]

I'm not saying it isn't true but, do you have a source or proof we could look at?

[whip_it_up]

HEY GUIEZ DID U NO UR FONE IS A TRACKING DEVICE???

[bilal]

Es handelt sich um einen (Gefangenen) bei Abbas. Haben schon Mail etc. gesendet. Immer noch nicht frei. Sein Bruder ist nicht unbedeutend für das Gleichgewicht in DEUTSCHLAND

[JoeLaGreca]

Please explain how android phones are taking ios's routers information???? This doesn't make sense....

[lightseeker]

So what about when it confuses parked cars as traffic?

[cactusrosi]

Apple and Android share parts though right?

[lexlindblot]

Fuck it's so fucked up how they just got us all pegged to fuck us over