Google Maps coverage gaps: designing a product that gets missing places onto the map

Some places still do not appear on Google Maps. Design a product that gets them mapped. ```hint Define unmapped first Places can be missing for different reasons: nobody has recorded them, they have no formal address, or no road or imagery data exists for the area. Each reason points to a different data source and a different person who can supply it. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Does "unmapped" mean missing businesses and points of interest, homes and buildings without addresses, or whole areas with no roads or imagery? - Which regions are in scope: well-mapped countries where new places appear constantly, or regions where map data is thin? - Can the solution use new hardware, such as additional imagery collection, or should it be software only? - Who should supply the data: Google's automated pipelines, users and local contributors, or partners such as local governments and delivery companies? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - A clear definition of the unmapped places targeted, and why that choice matters to users and to Google - Who contributes the data and who benefits from it, with distinct pain points for each - Solutions that combine automated detection with human knowledge, prioritized into a first version - How accuracy, spam, privacy and local law are handled for newly added places - Success metrics that measure whether new entries are used, not only how many are added ### Follow-up Questions - Fake listings start appearing in a newly covered region. How do you stop them without discouraging honest contributors? - Residents do not want their homes labeled on a public map, but delivery drivers need to find them. How do you reconcile the two? - How would you decide which regions to cover first?