digitalvandalism
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Vandal renames NYC 'Jewtropolis' on Snapchat and other apps
An instance of anti-semitic digital vandalism appears to be affecting platforms such as Snapchat, CitiBike, Jump Bike, Zillow and StreetEasy, with New York City showing up as "Jewtropolis" on their maps. Gizmodo reports that zooming in and out on Snapchat's Snap Map can make the city switch between New York City and "Jewtropolis," but that not all users of these platforms are seeing the vandalized name. The problem appears to be not with the platforms themselves but with Mapbox, a mapping software used by the companies.
Google reopens Map Maker edits after digital vandalism
Google is ever so slowly reintroducing Map Maker, the service that allows anyone to contribute to Google Maps. The company was left a little red-faced in May when a prank submission was discovered depicting an Android mascot urinating on the Apple logo. Google eventually took it down and suspended auto-approved edits while it figured out a new moderation system. The answer, it hopes, is to increase its reliance on the community. Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, India, Ukraine and the Philippines are now open for editing again, but this time Google has appointed "regional leads" to double-check the submissions in each area. Google only has so many employees dedicated to Map Maker, so it's praying the passion of its fans will be enough to avoid any further mishaps.
