If you need to go somewhere, chances are high that you’re using Google Maps to navigate there.
According to a 2024 survey of 1,000 Americans, Google Maps is far and away the most popular navigation app, with 70% of respondents saying they use it over other mapping services. The app that came in second place, Waze, is also owned by Google.
But how accurate are the directions provided by Google Maps? The company has already been sued several times for providing incorrect directions with negative consequences. For example, a family sued Google after its Maps program directed a family off of an unfinished bridge.
Most of the time, users suspect these inaccurate maps are simply a glitch in the system. However, one woman thinks there could be something else at play. In short, she has reason to believe Google Maps is forcing people away from rich people’s houses.
Does Google Maps Let You Walk By Tech CEOs’ Houses?
In a video with over 558,000 views, TikTok user Aisling Bonner (@aisling_bon) elaborates on a conspiracy theory she has about Dublin 4, a district of the Irish capital.
“A few weeks ago I came up with a conspiracy theory about Dublin 4—that Google Maps is avoiding me walking up a certain road, possibly because some fancy tech bros or sisters live there and don’t want me walking up their nice road with their nice houses,” she says.
As evidence, she shows a proposed walking route. The route is obtuse, seemingly avoiding a section of Park Avenue.
“Very clear from this Google Maps image that the Park Avenue route looks quicker as the crow flies, and yet it will not suggest that route for me,” Bonner states.
So, Bonner decided to test if walking down Park Avenue was actually faster than the proposed Google Maps route. To do this, she metered her walking pace to the Google Maps average to ensure that her resultant walking time would be comparable to a Google Maps estimation.
On her walk, Bonner noticed “a lot of electric gates” and houses that were set far away from the public. She also noticed that she was traveling much, much faster than the proposed Google Maps alternative, which would have taken 23 minutes.
Finally, Bonner arrived at her destination at the end of the road—a full 10 minutes earlier than the proposed Google Maps alternative route.
“If that’s not proof of the theory that there’s a tech bro or sister living on Park Avenue blocking people from walking up that road for a shorter walking route, then I don’t know what is,” she concludes.
Is This Really True?
At the time of posting the video, it appeared that, if one started from Bonner’s position, Google Maps would have proposed the alternative route shown in her video. Now, however, it appears that Google directs pedestrians to walk down the faster Park Avenue route.
Was this changed due to the rich people on this road getting called out? It’s an appealing conspiracy. After all, houses in the area regularly sell for millions of dollars.
However, internet users aren’t so sure that this is the conspiracy that Bonner believes it to be. In a Reddit discussion, one user noted that Google Maps may prioritize legal, safe crossing points.
Even though most people would simply cross the street without a crosswalk at Bonner’s starting point, Google Maps assumes that users would prefer a crosswalk. As such, it directs users to the nearest safe, legal crossing—which is the longer walking route originally shown by Bonner. If someone starts the journey on the same side of the road as Park Avenue, Google Maps guides them directly down it.
Compounding the anti-conspiracy angle is the fact that, if one selects directions via car, it will take them down the street, no matter which direction from which they are coming.
“Now, why would a misanthropic tech bro want to redirect pedestrian traffic, but not vehicle traffic – which is MUCH more noisy and disruptive?” writes Reddit user Pointlessillism. “If they’d played with the algorithm, they’d have removed car journeys as well!”
Commenters Are Angry
Across the internet, users have complained about similar problems with Google Maps. For example, one Reddit user claimed that Google Maps incorrectly marked several streets in his area as “private,” leading to awkward routing. In contrast, a homeowner alleged that Google Maps incorrectly directed people down his private driveway, causing damage in the process.
Some commenters under Bonner’s video claimed they had similar experiences.
“My boyfriend and I made this discovery as well when walking in London,” said a user. “We decided to ignore google maps and ended up walking through places with unreal cars and cafes and restaurants when we did.”
“Dublin is also the only city I know where google maps just wont acknowledge there are public bus lines between the airport and city center. It will only show you the expensive tourist buses,” declared another.
“Even if it’s simply because there is no crossing, you have to ask: why is there no crossing? And the likely answer is: people on this road don’t want to facilitate people passing through,” speculated a third.
@aisling_bon An important update on my recent D4 Google Maps conspiracy theory. Case CLOSED.
BroBible reached out to Google via email and Bonner via email and Instagram direct message.