Hidden Message? Android Seen Urinating On Apple Logo In Google Maps
(CBS SF) -- The Google and Apple rivalry just took bathroom humor to a new level.
On Friday morning, TeamAndroid spotted the Google mascot urinating over the Apple logo near Rawalpindi, Pakistan at these coordinates.
A second hidden message, this time reading "GOOGLE REVIEW POLICY IS CRAP," was also spotted nearby, making it likely that a member of the public using Google's crowdsourced Map Maker tool is behind the gag.
Anyone's allowed to add places, edit places, add roads and review edits in Maps, but edits have to go through an approval process moderated by experienced users or reviewers at Google to ensure quality and protect vandalism. Occasionally, reviewers will ask questions or make suggestions, or maybe even request more information to verify and validate the edits.
Users who make quality contributions are less monitored and can be published on the map immediately.
But in these two particular cases, no edit history exists for any users.
A Google spokesperson issued this statement to CBS SF about the mishap:
"The vast majority of users who edit our maps provide great contributions, such as mapping places that have never been mapped before, or adding new business openings or address changes. We're sorry for this inappropriate user-created content; we're working to remove it quickly. We also learn from these issues, and we're constantly improving how we detect, prevent and handle bad edits."
Before 10 a.m. PDT, Google removed the markings.
Last December, an anonymous Google Maps user marked "The Jungle," formerly Silicon Valley's largest homeless camp, with features like "Homeless Trail," "Bridge to Nowhere" and "The Jungle Path." But an hour later, another user wiped them off the map.
