Interesting topic, @Ghannm , that can open the way to an interesting conversation.
However, I believe there are two levels that we need to keep separate: Street View and photos of a business listing.
Street View: As already mentioned by @MortenCopenhagen
It means that Street view is fully managed (and paid) by Google already, even if a user can contribute by adding his own images. In some are street view is not present, mostly due to Local restrictions. For more information about this feature you can read: Explore Street View and add your own 360 images to Google Maps.
Indoor photography:
Photos within listings can be divided into three categories:
- Virtual tours, created by professionals paid by the business. These are a sequence of linked spherical images (like street view) that allow users to navigate and explore the location.
- Photos and videos uploaded by the business, which show how the business presents itself to users.
- Photos and videos uploaded by users, which show the “real” experience of the location.
Personally, I find only the latter to be important. As a user, I want to know what a business is really like, because it helps me decide whether to visit and what to really expect. I honestly believe this “real” content is the only important one, because it offers me the true image of the business, not a “glossy” version that is sometimes far from reality. I don’t believe that if the 500+ million Local Guides were paid, they could offer a true image of the business, or a true and honest review.
In this case, Google Maps would become useless, turning from a tool into a glossy cover story.
Of course, there are also, unfortunately, bad actors: those who use Maps as a personal album to upload selfies, dozens and dozens of repetitive and useless images. But I have a different view on them, which I wanted to express just yesterday: My Travel Companion, and how I would like it to be
I believe that, instead of paying 500+ million contributors, Google Maps should invest more to remove these bad actors and all their contributions, transforming Maps into an even more useful tool, capable of telling the truth about every place.
A tool that, I would like to remind you, is free for everyone