Google Maps' COVID-19 layer as an interface for pandemic life

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Geographic Information Systems

Background:

• Google Maps launched a COVID-19 layer in September 2020.
• This feature was available for two years, impacting public health information dissemination.
• The layer operated within the context of public health needs and Google's corporate objectives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critique the mediation of the pandemic through Google Maps' COVID-19 layer.
• To analyze the interface design and its implications for user behavior and information perception.
• To propose design recommendations for future public health information layers on digital platforms.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of promotional corporate blog posts from Google.
• Interfacial analysis of the Google Maps COVID-19 layer.
• Critique of the layer's design choices and their impact on users.

Main Results:

• Interfacial design choices imposed a false sense of certainty, reducing necessary user hesitancy.
• The layer promoted the commodification of data, irrespective of its public health relevance.
• Pandemic-specific information was presented as exceptional, rather than integrated into existing map functionalities.

Conclusions:

• The COVID-19 layer's design had unintended consequences for public health communication.
• Future public health layers should prioritize bottom-up community practices and user personalization.
• Increased friction in the interface could foster more critical engagement with health information.