Google Maps uses ML to remove fake businesses and misleading images

Last year, the tech giant made a updates its machine learning models to help identify novel abuse trends. Google also shared an example where its machine learning algorithm detected a sudden spike in the number of websites ending with .design or .top and helped its analysts confirm the legitimacy of the website, remove them and disable the associated accounts.

Another way how scammers are tricking people is by overlaying fake phone numbers on top of contributed numbers, which eventually results in the victim calling the fraudster instead of the actual business.

Google says it is using a ‘ a new machine learning model that could recognize numbers overlaid on contributed images by analyzing specific visual details and the layouts of photos.’ For Google Maps, the new model seems to be  working as it is taking down the majority of such content even before it is published.

The company also said that it has blocked over 115 million policy violating reviews in 2022 and 20 per cent more fake reviews compared to 2021. The new models also helped block or remove over 200 million photos and 7 million videos that were blurry or low quality or violated the policy. In 2022, Google also stopped more than 20 million attempts to create fake business profiles and ‘185,000 businesses after detecting suspicious activity and abuse attempts.’

Google recently announced that it is trying to fight misinformation in India through other products, partnerships and programs.