Google Maps hack lands Edward Snowden in the middle of the White House

Update (April 15): Google has since removed the fake listing for “Edwards Snow Den,” so it’s no longer visible in Google Maps.

According to a Google spokesperson, the person who made the listing alerted the business description once it was live in Google Maps.

“In this particular instance, the user gamed the system by altering a business description once it was already live on Google Maps. The vast majority of the edits people make to business listings have improved the quality and accuracy of Google Maps but we occasionally run across inaccurate edits or contributions,” the spokesperson told Global News.

“We work hard to block bad actors and remove listings that violate our policies and we will continue to improve our processes to prevent future instances like this one.”

The spokesperson added the fake listing was in violation of Google’s policies for posting business listings.

“We take violations of these policies, including spamming and other fraudulent or illegal activities, very seriously and we reserve the right to block or delete the accounts of those responsible,” Google’s statement read.

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TORONTO – The last place on earth you would expect to see Edward Snowden is smack dab in the middle of the White House – yet, thanks to a Google Maps hack, that’s exactly where he appears to be (on the Internet, at least).

Google Maps is currently listing a fake business, using the guise of a snowboard shop, called “Edwards Snow Den.” But the location was cleverly marked as 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, District of Columbia 20500 – otherwise known as the White House.

So, on its mobile app and desktop Maps website, there is a little icon that reads “Edwards Snow Den” right below “The White House – Iconic home of America’s President.”

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According to Marketing Land, which first reported the prank listing, the address was originally created as a verified business listing on Google.

Google has since removed the verification, but the listing for the fake snowboard shop still remains – much to the delight of the Internet.

Global News contacted Google for a statement regarding the fake listing, but a request for comment was not immediately returned.

Snowden – who currently has asylum in Russia – has been in the headlines a lot lately, but not because of his leaks.

Last week artists installed a 1.2-metre tall bust of Snowden atop a column at the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument in Brooklyn, New York. Police quickly covered the statue with a tarp and then took it down.

Then a separate group of artists known as the Illuminator Art Collective tried to recreate the statue by projecting what they dubbed a hologram of Snowden at the site of the monument.

Snowden, who lives in Moscow but says he wants to return to the U.S., hasn’t commented on the tributes, but journalist Glenn Greenwald, who has collaborated with the whistleblower, called the tribute “brilliant.”