Google to integrate Map Maker into Google Maps

Google has announced that Map Maker will be discontinued in March 2017. The company promises to process the functions of the software in Google Maps. Map Maker allows users to customize the maps in Google Maps.

Google Maps gets the features previously found in Map Maker. According to the company, it is already possible to add a place and add or edit information about existing places. The option to adjust streets is not yet available, but according to Google, that functionality will be added in the period until March 2017 and beyond. It’s not clear what Map Maker features will be integrated into Maps by the time Map Maker is taken offline.

Map Maker was introduced in 2008 as a means of giving users the ability to edit errors in Google Maps. It is possible to change things like roads, railways and rivers. Before changes are made, they are reviewed by a moderation team. Changes made by users who have already contributed a lot are less checked.

Despite moderation, the service has been used several times to tamper with Google’s maps. A well-known example of this is a drawing of the Android mascot urinating over the Apple logo. Due to the drawing, Google closed the service for a few months in 2015, after which it reopened with a renewed moderation system.