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maps.google.com now redirects to google.com/maps

garrit.xyz

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Re: maps.google.com now redirects to google.com/maps

#41

I think this change probably has more to do with corporate firewalls than anything else. A lot of corporate internet access isn't set up to MITM the requests (a lot of places are setup for this, but a lot aren't). If they places all their services under google.com as suffixes, places that don't MITM won't have any way of stopping it as all they can see is the request to google.com.

Given the history of Google's stance towards privacy and tracking, I think it's naïve to assume technical reasons. It may have been ok to fall for that argument for 10 years, but after AMP, manifestv3, android's location log disaster, the recording of wifi names and countless lawsuits across the globe, it seems that the resource of good faith assumptions has been depleted. Some may even say that trusting google (the…

I'm as skeptical as anyone about Google's privacy record but I'm not so convinced that this really helps google invade our privacy more than it already does.

Re: maps.google.com now redirects to google.com/maps

#42
post #37
post #26

Firefox containers to the rescue.

How? Access to location will stick regardless if you use containers or not.

If you put all G-services in their own container, google.com/mail can't access google.com/maps cookies, so, will it also not track location. Not sure actually, they indeed probably store your "consent" on their server. Could you block location services per container perhaps?

Hmm this is a smart move indeed, all of a sudden I'm logged into G-maps whereas I wasn't before... FireFox helpfully opened google.com/maps in my Google container...

Re: maps.google.com now redirects to google.com/maps

#45

I think this change probably has more to do with corporate firewalls than anything else. A lot of corporate internet access isn't set up to MITM the requests (a lot of places are setup for this, but a lot aren't). If they places all their services under google.com as suffixes, places that don't MITM won't have any way of stopping it as all they can see is the request to google.com.

Given the history of Google's stance towards privacy and tracking, I think it's naïve to assume technical reasons. It may have been ok to fall for that argument for 10 years, but after AMP, manifestv3, android's location log disaster, the recording of wifi names and countless lawsuits across the globe, it seems that the resource of good faith assumptions has been depleted. Some may even say that trusting google (the…

Google: push security theathe features like CORS to make it hard to run cross domain

Also Google: decides to use single domain so any permission you ever give work for all of their apps

Re: maps.google.com now redirects to google.com/maps

#47
post #9

huh? You were always able to share sub-domain cookies with top-level domain cookies no? Set-Cookie: name=value; domain=google.com

Setting cookies doesn't allow using Browser APIs lie GEO-Location

Can you load, let's say maps.google.com/somepage in a hidden iframe and use postmessage to send location data if it already has access? Or do browsers force top level navigation for such permissions?

Re: maps.google.com now redirects to google.com/maps

#48
post #32
post #7

https://www.openstreetmap.org

While I like OSM for some use cases, and have contributed, it can not work as a replacement for google maps for every day use. My biggest problem is the search - absolutely unusable.

Technical nit: OSM as such does not have "a search". Geocoding (as it's known) is a separate component and if you dislike the one used by the openstreetmap.org there are other services that render OpenStreetMap data for you – perhaps with a better search!

Re: maps.google.com now redirects to google.com/maps

#49

Privacy and intimacy, As we know it, Will be a memory, Among many to be passed down To those who never knew. Living in the pupil of one thousand eyes.

I was curious where this is from, and found it's from "1,000 Eyes" from Death.

https://genius.com/Death-1000-eyes-lyrics

Re: maps.google.com now redirects to google.com/maps

#50
post #30
post #7

https://www.openstreetmap.org

Unfortunately this is really not an option for (some) areas in the US. After having moved to a populous LA area from Germany I was baffled at the lack of detail in the maps. Basic things like building numbers are entirely missing. Even after adding more and more details I would never fully rely on OSM here sadly. And if it only works sometimes why even bother using it in the first place? At least this was my progress…

Also, do not fully rely on Google Maps knowing house numbers. Looks like in some areas (in UK for example) Google used some sort of OCR to find house numbers. There are houses and Wales with random house numbers that only have a house name; Numbering ends a few houses into dead-end alley where the Street View car didn't come; Or totally wrong numbers where house number sings are hard to read.
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