Google previously used physical traffic cameras and sensors but no longer does.
Google Maps is arguably one of the best services to have been created in the internet era.
It’s stuffed to the brim with helpful features, including real-time traffic congestion information.
Where exactly is Google getting this data from, though?
What Do the Colors Mean?
Traffic congestionis represented in Google Maps with three colors: Green, Orange, and Red.
This is intended to show you the traffic conditions in real-time.
Related:How to Check Traffic in Google Maps
How Does Google Know the Traffic Conditions?
That’s what the colors mean, but where is Google getting the data?
Up until the late 2000s, Google collected data fromtraffic sensors and cameras.
These devices were placed on roads by government transportation departments and private companies.
Traffic sensors and cameras use a variety of—you guessed it–sensors and cameras to detect traffic.
That information is then used for various purposes, including Google Maps.
However, that’s not how Google gets traffic data anymore.
Nowadays, Google gets a lot of its traffic informationfrom you.
That is, if you useGoogle Maps on your phonewith the location permission granted.
In fact, you might’t use turn-by-turn navigationwithout contributing this datato Google.
Google also useshistorical dataas part of the equation.
It’s a similar recipe for how Google Maps knowshow busy a store is at a given time.
It doesn’t actually need that many people to use it, though.
Let’s say you’re going 25 MPH on a 65 MPH highway.
That tells Google traffic is not moving like it should.
There you have it.
Google Maps users around the world arecontributing datato help people avoid traffic.
You were probably contributing without even knowing it.
If you don’t want to share this data, you canturn off your location tracking on Androidand theiPhone.
However, that basically makes Maps useless.
Related:How to Disable Location Tracking on Android
