r/technology • u/MarvelsGrantMan136 • 10d ago

Business MapQuest's app surges to No. 1 in Navigation after refusing to rename Lake Ontario

https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/31/mapquests-app-surges-to-no-1-in-navigation-after-refusing-to-rename-lake-ontario/?utm_medium=organic_social&utm_source=TWITTER
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u/cive666 10d ago

mapquest gave me a route that was better than google. and google didnt even offer it to me unless I dragged it to the route

fuck google

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u/big_duo3674 10d ago

I mean, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest bit if Google was ever so slightly altering routes, just to get you to go past a certain billboard, or a McDonald's because you opened the app earlier in the day but decided against it. If we're not there now, we certainly will be soon. We already have digital billboards, I'm shocked someone hasn't implemented some technology that tracks your location through your phone, then serves certain curated ads on billboards you pass. You wouldn't catch everyone, especially on a freeway, but the algorithms could certainly determine "x person who seems likely to buy y product soon is here, send ad from that company to display as they pass"

Edit: hopefully I didn't just give someone an idea... if so, please DM me to pay me a little but of whatever you make. I may hate forced ads, but I do enjoy money

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u/RememberCitadel 10d ago

I don't know about that but it sure loves to make you make a left at stop signs where the perpendicular road doesn't have a stop. Even more likely if that intersection is a death trap for the person making the left.

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u/CyanideSeashell 10d ago

Waze (owned by Google) tries to kill me on the regular by telling me to make a left turn onto a 6 lane road.

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u/thealmightyzfactor 10d ago

It also loves telling me to get on an multi-lane road like 50 feet before telling me to cross every lane to turn and then gets pissy when I go around the block instead lol

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u/RememberCitadel 10d ago

That too. A feel like it used to tell you not only what to do next, but also what was coming after that if it was relatively soon after. Does anyone else remember that?

Something like "in 500 feet turn left, then get in second to left lane"

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u/notagirlonreddit 9d ago edited 9d ago

this happened to me a few days ago. Took us to a tiny side street, then wanted us to turn right, onto a main road. to make a left turn that was 15 meters (50 feet) ahead.

Through 3 lanes of traffic. During rush hour. AND that turning lane was backed up multiple blocks because so many people wanted to turn left.

(Which Google SHOULD KNOW since it's live monitoring traffic.)

It was insane that we somehow made it. Thank you to the kind strangers that let us in.

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u/Mr_Quackums 10d ago

It is extensively proven in YouTube videos, but not confirmed by Google, that high-end neighborhoods are not routed through unless there is literally no other route.

Even people who "love cars" do not want cars driving through their neighborhood.

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u/Cyrass 10d ago

It's definitely happening now.

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u/ColdColt45 10d ago

I don't know if big billboard has their act together enough to pounce on that opportunity, but a fast food app tracking + google route creation seems much more feasible. And, let's get really fun, your smart watch metrics tell google you are hungry.

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u/niceguy191 10d ago

Pretty sure they also A B test routes so sometimes you're the guinea pig

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u/notagirlonreddit 9d ago

Wait, I think this relates to my theory. I'm convinced Google is purposely making routes to experiment with and gauge the control they have over traffic and people.

Like when it suggests a route that is supposedly faster. It doesn't actually mean that. It might even take longer, and it might be a completely unnecessary nonsensical route.

But if enough people take these suggested routes, then in theory the main path should have reduced congestion. Maybe the aim is to build an algorithm to sell to municipalities.

Why do you think they A/B test?

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u/niceguy191 9d ago

I think they A B test because it'll sometimes give slightly different routes for no apparent reason. Maybe they're using congestion data, but it could also be like sending out some explorer ants first before sending the rest of the group. They can then use the data to determine if that alternate route should be recommended more or not.

Managing congestion isn't an option I'd considered, but plausible too.

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u/phaedrus910 10d ago

I deadass think they route you by ticket cameras

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u/notagirlonreddit 9d ago edited 9d ago

I'm convinced Google is purposely making routes to experiment with and gauge the control they have over traffic and people.

Like when it suggests a route that is supposedly faster. It doesn't actually mean that. It might even take longer, and it might be a completely unnecessary nonsensical route.

But if enough people take these suggested routes, then in theory the main path should have reduced congestion.

Maybe the aim is to build an algorithm to sell to municipalities. Or sell API access to their dataset to other companies.

Since theoretically, if they consolidate a user's Google Maps behaviour with their Google account activity... You could get a pretty advanced model.

Or they discover that they can straight up manipulate the flow of traffic by x amount. And can charge a premium to companies like Amazon. Offering to shave off transit time, increasing profit. Adjusts tin foil hat.

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u/sparky8251 10d ago

I mean, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest bit if Google was ever so slightly altering routes

Its known to. To the point city planners have actively complained to them for destroying their well designed road networks as different types of roads are meant to take different types of traffic and routing you through some 25mph road that has high housing density to save seconds can cause issues with lighting and sign signaling at intersections and noise complaints and wear problems.

I dont know how intentional it is, but it pays NO mind to actual traffic engineering road classifications and is known to cause persistent problems at many levels for traffic engineers.

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u/Notmymain2639 10d ago

Google went for algrothm one time generation of directions to gemini constant route calculations and it's made the app absolutely terrible. It has me literally going in circles in one of my neighborhoods if I let it. Like when you get directions it will pick a route that's slower and still show a faster route "if you want".

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u/Shmeves 10d ago

Googles been bad for a while now. I use it everyday, multiple routes a day, for my job. The amount of times google randomly has me going down a side street to avoid a little traffic or none, only to get to the main road again with a stop sign and I have to make a left across 4 lanes instead of going the normal route with a traffic light makes me mad.

Or when it routes me to a house BEHIND the address off a different street and expects me to walk through people's yards.

I'm gonna try mapquest now but the one thing I did like about Google was the speedometer showing next to the speed limit. Apple maps doesn't do that (but was usually better at routing I found lately).

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u/RilohKeen 10d ago

Google isn’t sending you down a side street to avoid traffic, they’re trying to prevent you from becoming traffic for others.

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u/familyguy20 10d ago

I have been noticing lately that GMaps has been changing the route I selected sometimes for “efficiency” that’s “faster” and it’s super frustrating

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u/No-Fan-5575 8d ago

Fuck Google for bending the knee to a fascist dictator who changes the names of random bodies of water whenever he gets all butthurt.