Google Maps ‘hacked’! Artist uses 99 smartphones to create virtual traffic jams; Watch video

We often use Google Maps to trace a location or to navigate to our destination. When we are stepping out of our homes or on our way to work or to any trip, we use the app the know the traffic-free routes to our destination and to plan our commutes. But recently, the otherwise trustworthy navigation app, was hacked by a clever trick by a German artist named Simon Weckert.

In a video posted on Youtube, Weckert showed how he ‘hacked’ Google’s navigation app with 99 smartphones. In the video, Weckert can be seen walking on the road with 99 mobile phones in a small hand-pulled cart. While walking through the streets, he had Google Maps running on all the 99 smartphones. During his movement from one place to another with the navigation app being activated, Google sensed that too many users were on the spot and acknowledged the slow-moving traffic in the area. After acknowledging the traffic, Google showed on its map that the entire street had too many vehicles and there was a traffic jam on the street. Hence, the entire road was shown as congested, when it was actually not. The entire incident took place outside Google’s office in Berlin, Germany.