Fact Check

Is Google Maps Adding Feature That Lets Drivers Challenge Each Other To a Race?

"Tom wants to race," a mockup appeared to say.

Published June 21, 2023

A lettering with the logo of Google is stuck on a glass pane in the press center of Koelnmesse. (Photo by Rolf Vennenbernd/Picture Alliance via Getty Images) (Rolf Vennenbernd/Picture Alliance via Getty Images)
A lettering with the logo of Google is stuck on a glass pane in the press center of Koelnmesse. (Photo by Rolf Vennenbernd/Picture Alliance via Getty Images)
Claim:
Google Maps is adding a feature that allows drivers to challenge each other to a race.

On June 19, 2023, User Interface (UI) designer Soren Iverson tweeted what appeared to be a mockup of a new "option to race to a location" feature on the Google Maps app:

The post received millions of views, with many wishing that such a feature was real, though potentially problematic.

For those wondering if the feature was actually in development at Google, however, the answer is "no." Iverson's Twitter account is dedicated primarily to satirical UI designs — a fact he discloses.

Because this post comes from an author whose work is described as satirical, we rank this claim as "Labeled Satire."

For background, here is why we sometimes write about satire/humor.

Sources

"Hello There. I Make Unhinged, Satirical App Designs Daily." Twitter, https://twitter.com/soren_iverson/status/1671163616199057418. Accessed 21 June 2023.

Alex Kasprak is an investigative journalist and science writer reporting on scientific misinformation, online fraud, and financial crime.

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