Profile Privacy, Restricted Profile in Google Maps!

[RaviSharma111]

Hello, community

Recently Google Maps had announced to stop their pilot project follow option in App , this is the burning question in community nowadays .
But why Google maps is Doing so? What is the region behind it ? Is it connect with the restricted profile option?
What I understand that Follow option is just misleading the maps users and people stared using this as Social media accounts rather then showing world around them.
Some users were more focused on Gaining follower and making just their profile to to L-10 they think when they pass the threshold they get paid, so in that greed they started posting nudity and personal photo shoot with their family and friends.
This was really a high growth in number of contributors but decrease the quality contributions.
I found people are uploading their child photo on the plateform for just locating their house and showing impressions in Local area, this was the just not only violation of Google Maps policy but also, Defaming the child identity in society.
Some account was more engage with Just Uplifting Business by hook or crook.
Restricted option is enabling them to not look in their profile, I had see many account having 0 follower and 0 following, but tons of contribution, they locked their profile with enabling Restricted profile , I don’t understand, if they having so much contribution what are they hiding why they don’t want to show their contributions. but the question is what will happen to this Restricted profile option will it go with Follow option or allow bad practise on plateform, I don’t know really this is question in my mind . Still map , Is allowing users to hide their contribution in their profile. Link
Yes some will say what happen to privacy if this will gone out? So keep in mind when you are sharing review, rating , photo, video etc. On Google Maps plateform, this will be publicly visible to all , so avoid uploading if you don’t want to share your openion or thoughts if it contain personal Privacy.
Who can find my contribution

Here is the link that contain more information about this issue
What do you think on this topic share your opinion !
Google Maps tips & tricks best-practices #profileprivacy

[MortenCopenhagen]

We are already discussing the reasons and consequences of the follow feature sunsetting here:

https://www.localguidesconnect.com/t/the-follow-feature-on-maps-is-going-away/483966

[RaviSharma111]

Thank you for your reply @MortenCopenhagen , if you want you can add this post in that discussion but I am more concerning this topic on Resticted profile, where somewhere map articles say your all contribution is public and visible to other users, but some where it is enabling option to hide users contribution from public.

[MortenCopenhagen]

Because your post is about other topics I chose not to merge.

I’m unsure if you are aware of the details re restricting your profile. Your photos and reviews will still be public under the places. It only hides your lists of reviews and photos shown under your Maps profile.

Sharing photos and reviews for them to never be shown would not make sense. Then you should just avoid posting photos and reviews.

All the best

[ErmesT]

@RaviSharma111
There are many topics in this thread, which in my opinion aren’t necessarily related.
Let’s start with the first, most important one, clearly identified by your cover image: privacy.
For Google, privacy isn’t an option: it’s a requirement. User privacy must be protected by providing information and options that allow users to manage it consciously.
This is the message we constantly find in Google Maps when we want to publish something.

As a reference: How Your Content is Used - Maps User Generated Content Policy Help
There are many reasons why a user might choose to “restrict” their profile:

• The most obvious and logical: I don’t want to be tracked by others. It’s true that my content is public in the listings, but a single post can’t be traced back to others. I know many Local Guides who choose this option, also for personal safety reasons.
• The most unpleasant: I’m a person (a gamer) who posts inappropriate content, and I don’t want to be reported for it.
• The so called “influencers”: I use Maps as a social media. My goal is to have followers and likes. It’s interesting to read some old posts here on Connect, relating to when Maps limited the maximum number of people you could follow to 10,000, and there were some who protested about this. Following to be followed back is a classic Instagram technique.

Personally, I only follow people I know, or people who post content that’s interesting to me in the areas I frequent. I don’t understand the point of following everyone, and I don’t understand why certain people follow me.

Returning to privacy, the option to accept followers so that only they could see our profile made sense. However, I’ve always thought this option should be changed, automatically making followers’ content visible to the people we follow. I’ve always found it annoying to be followed by accounts that didn’t allow their content to be seen.

Spammers: This is a separate issue for me. Promoting your business by following others on Google Maps is sad and pointless. There’s no point in following users who live on the other side of the world in the hope of promoting your business this way. The same goes for those who promote sexual content. However, this is one of the reasons I’m saddened by the disappearance of the “follow” feature from Maps. For those who want to clean up Maps, the followers list is an incredible resource of users worth reporting. . I’ve lost count of how many I’ve reported so far.

@RaviSharma111

This was really a high growth in number of contributors but decrease the quality contributions.
I found people are uploading their child photo on the plateform for just locating their house and showing impressions in Local area, this was the just not only violation of Google Maps policy but also, Defaming the child identity in society.

I agree, but this has very little to do with followers. It’s more a question of ignorance of the rules and a lack of common sense: turning Maps into your own personal scrapbook. The same could be said for selfie lovers, those who post a long series of selfies to confirm they know a place. As if to say: I’ve been here.

In conclusion, the disappearance of followers does not change the privacy settings of our profile. Simply, starting in September, those settings will be valid FOR EVERYONE.

[RaviSharma111]

Thanks @MortenCopenhagen for sharing this information about Restricted profile.
Your photos and reviews will still be public under the places. It only hides your lists of reviews and photos shown under your Maps profile.
I was not aware of this, totally agree with your last sentences.

[RaviSharma111]

Thank you so much for your Explanation @ErmesT , these information are really valuable and increased my knowledge and experience about Google Maps and it’s Features.