Both Apple as well as Google have been criticized for removing Palestine from their respective online maps. While searching for Palestine on both Google as well as Apple maps does indeed show an outline for Gaza Strip and West Bank territories – there are in fact not labels for Palestine.
The claims that have come forward as well as the criticism that it is quite apparent seems to have stemmed from a viral Instagram post by a user called “Astagfirvlah” – accusing both the tech giants of effectively removing Palestine from their maps.
The post though has since been updated and there are statements that it contains “false information.” Nonetheless, supporters of the Palestinian cause continue to accuse both Google as well as Apple of supporting Israel’s occupation.
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While Palestine is in fact recognized as an independent state by the United Nations itself as well as by the 136 members that it has, the same is not actually the case for the US – where both Apple as well as Google are actually headquartered.
While Google wasn’t too quick to respond to any requests with regards to a comment over the whole situation, a section which happens to be dedicated to disputed boundaries within the company’s website claims : “Disputed boundaries are displayed as a dashed grey line. The places involved don’t agree on a boundary.”
Interestingly enough, this isn’t even the very first time that the search engine giant has been accused of removing the name Palestine from its popular map service. Indeed four years ago back in 2016, a Change.org petition proceeded on to claim that Palestine “was removed at the insistence of the Israeli government,” going on to add that “Google’s two Jewish founders have close links with Israel and its leaders.”
Regardless though, The ‘Google: Put Palestine on your Maps!’ petition still to this day remains active and as of right now, it has gone on to receive more than 800,000 signatures.
