{"id":2697,"date":"2009-03-12T20:00:24","date_gmt":"2009-03-13T00:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blumenthals.com\/blog\/?p=2697"},"modified":"2009-03-12T20:29:40","modified_gmt":"2009-03-13T00:29:40","slug":"google-maps-fixes-newest-hack-adds-private-mapspam-reporting-form","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blumenthals.com\/blog\/2009\/03\/12\/google-maps-fixes-newest-hack-adds-private-mapspam-reporting-form\/","title":{"rendered":"Google Maps Fixes Newest Hack & Adds Private Mapspam Reporting Form"},"content":{"rendered":"

Maps Guide Jen has commented<\/a> that Google has now fixed the most recent hack<\/a> that allowed records claimed in the Local Business Center to be hijacked:<\/p>\n

Hi Mike,
\nThanks again for bringing these cases to our attention. The issue involved was different from the ones that affected listings a few months ago. Like those, it\u2019s now fixed.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Maps Guide Jen has also noted in her comments<\/a> that there is now a Mapspam reporting form<\/a> that replaces the previous publicly visible reporting thread in the Maps Help forum:<\/p>\n

As you all know, we\u2019re working hard to clean up the spam on Maps, and to make it easier and easier for business owners to make sure their listings are accurate. Keep sending your reports to us at \u201cReport an instance of a user spamming Google Maps business listings\u201d found here: http:\/\/maps.google.com\/support\/bin\/request.py?contact_type=contact_policy<\/a><\/p>\n

Sincerely,
\nJen<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Mapspam reporting form<\/a> is available in the Contact Options area<\/a> of Maps Help.<\/p>\n

The form (visible below) will hopefully encourage more active and detailed reporting of Mapspam to Google. In removing the postings from the public domain, though, it may also make it harder to bring the critical transparency to Google Maps that it obviously needs. <\/p>\n


\n\"mapspam-form\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Maps Guide Jen has commented that Google has now fixed the most recent hack that allowed records claimed in the Local Business Center to be hijacked: Hi Mike, Thanks again for bringing these cases to our attention. The issue involved was different from the ones that affected listings a few months ago. Like those, it\u2019s …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":262,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2697","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-google-maps-google-local"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t