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Google Maps dismissed as 'unreliable' by Indian government

Use Google Maps when you’re hunting for food, but not when you need it for something important, advised the government.

Zoey Chong Reporter
Zoey is CNET's Asia News Reporter based in Singapore. She prefers variety to monotony and owns an Android mobile device, a Windows PC and Apple's MacBook Pro all at the same time. Outside of the office, she can be found binging on Korean variety shows, if not chilling out with a book at a café recommended by a friend.
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Unlike many of us, the Indian government doesn't think much of Google 's mapping services.

The country's mapping and surveying agency, Survey of India, urged citizens to stop relying on Google Maps and Google Earth, saying neither has been authenticated by the government, reported Business Standard. To encourage this, the SoI made its own maps available online for citizens to use at no cost.

"Google Maps [is] not authenticated and widely used by consumers to find restaurants and parks only," the surveyor-general of India, Swarna Subba Rao was quoted by the Economic Times as saying. He advised the service be used for casual applications that don't require high levels of accuracy, noting the government doesn't rely on it.  

It's not the first time the country has found fault with Google Maps. Previously, Cambodia and India had protested over how borders are being presented on the service. Google released different versions of the service in each country to comply with regulations.

Google Maps helps more than a billion people globally to navigate the roads every day. To ensure its accuracy, users contribute by making suggested edits and adding new places. 

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