SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) Google Maps on Thursday launched a redesign that prominently solicits users’ reviews and photos of places they visit, seeking to grow its data in a field led by local search apps such as Zomato, TripAdvisor and Yelp.
FILE PHOTO: The Google Maps app logo is seen on a smartphone in this picture illustration taken September 15, 2017. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
The new look, which coincides with Google Maps’ 15th birthday, introduces a “Contribute” tab to a menu at the bottom of the service’s mobile app, Google said in a blog post.
The move could draw concern from Yelp Inc (YELP.N), TripAdvisor Inc (TRIP.O) and other companies that have encouraged antitrust investigations into whether Google has improperly used its dominance in search to popularize its newer tools, such as restaurant comparison.
Yelp, TripAdvisor and Zomato, all of which feature user reviews on businesses, could not immediately be reached…
Source Reuters Tech News
Source link
