A driver says they’re abandoning Google Maps and will never consider T-Mobile as their carrier after a dangerous advertising incident on the road. The person was navigating through an intersection when a large pop-up suddenly appeared on their screen asking if they wanted to stop at a nearby T-Mobile store.
According to PhoneArena, the driver described the moment as nearly causing an accident. The alert-style message appeared at the worst possible time, and they said if another driver or pedestrian had made an unexpected move right then, they believe they would have crashed. The experience was so jarring that they decided to quit using Google Maps entirely, calling the practice reckless and questioning why anyone would think it’s okay to put intrusive ads in a navigation app while someone is actively driving.
The incident highlights a growing concern about advertising in apps that people depend on for safety. Google Maps is free to use, which means the company makes money by selling ads and user data. But this particular situation raises questions about whether some ad placements go too far. The driver pointed out that while they understand Google needs revenue, showing promotional messages while someone is navigating traffic crosses a line from annoying to potentially dangerous.
There’s also a branding problem here for T-Mobile. Even though the carrier likely didn’t directly control when or how the ad appeared, they’re now associated with a near-accident in at least one person’s mind. That’s not the kind of customer acquisition strategy any company wants. The driver made it clear they won’t be switching to T-Mobile anytime soon, which shows how quickly aggressive marketing can backfire.
Source: PhoneArena