On August 31st, some netizens reported that Baidu Maps had forcefully inserted advertisements in the taxi hailing process and had set the close button very discreetly.
According to screenshots shared by netizens, after using Baidu Maps to hail a taxi, an advertisement appeared below the relevant interface and there was no obvious way to close it.
The button to close the advertisement is actually "hidden" in the upper right corner of the interface, with a dark gray color almost integrated into the background, and it is also set above the promotional entrance for "claiming a 30 yuan discount", which may make people mistakenly believe that the close button is not to close the advertisement.
It is reported that this is not the first time Baidu Maps has been embroiled in controversy over advertising placement issues.
Previously, Baidu Maps caused user dissatisfaction by implanting "lane level advertisements" in the navigation interface.
When users use navigation, large text ads such as "tired and tired, drink Dongpeng Special Drink" will appear on the 3D map lane, accompanied by voice broadcast ads that cannot be turned off.
This form of advertising is referred to by users as "welded to the road", and related topics have sparked a lot of discussion.
Supporters believe that the issue of embedding advertisements in map navigation software, which provides free services, does require reasonable commercialization to maintain its operation; But opponents argue that excessive advertising placement in map software not only affects the user experience, but may even pose security risks.
