Google Maps is confusing drivers in Germany due to a major technical error.

Germany witnessed a traffic chaos on Thursday morning, in one of the most congested holidays in the country, after Google Maps showed inaccurate information indicating that many highways were closed, leading to widespread confusion among drivers. The crisis was concentrated in major cities such as Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Berlin, where maps were filled with red dots indicating non-existent traffic stops and barriers. The impact of this issue also extended to some areas in Belgium and the Netherlands. With a large number of Germans hitting the roads for the four-day "Ascension Day" holiday, drivers rushed to find alternative routes, causing severe congestion on secondary roads and long delays. Surprisingly, users of other navigation apps like Apple Maps and Waze, as well as followers of radio traffic reports, did not encounter these false notifications, but found that traffic was flowing normally on roads described by Google as closed. German police and traffic authorities faced a flood of inquiries and reports from citizens, prompting Google to launch an urgent investigation. A company spokesperson told German media that they are working on reviewing and updating data in collaboration with third-party information providers, official authorities, and service users themselves. The spokesperson added that Google has started removing incorrect closure notifications upon verification of their inaccuracy, explaining that map update speed varies by region and data source, and they cannot comment on individual cases directly.