Drug dealing points on Google Maps: drug sales visible in a few clicks in Paris
Drug sales points appear directly on Google Maps after a simple keyword search. The phenomenon, revealed in Paris, is causing concern among the authorities.
Google Maps diverted to locate drug dealing points in Paris
"Virtual dealing points" are accessible directly from Google Maps: it is enough to type a keyword to identify places where drugs are sold, or even to get in contact with dealers. This is what France Télévisions reveals, with conclusions being picked up by BFM TV.
The manipulation is strikingly simple. An ordinary address search on the application is sufficient to display these geolocated points, without requiring a specialised application or particular knowledge of the darknet. The phenomenon has been observed in Paris, where several locations have been identified in this way.
This diversion of the mass-market mapping tool illustrates the constant adaptation of drug trafficking networks to digital platforms. Dealers exploit the visibility and ease of use of Google Maps to reach a wider clientele, circumventing the channels usually associated with online drug trafficking.
The France Télévisions investigation shows that this drift can be verified in a few seconds from any smartphone. No complex technical manipulation is required: simply using certain terms in the search bar is enough to make these dealing points appear in the results.
At this stage, neither Google nor the French authorities have made any public statement on measures being considered to remove these references from the platform.
Source: BFM TV