Google Won't Let Windows Phone Users Access Maps

Google has been getting on a lot of people's bad sides lately, and it doesn't look like the company will be reversing that trend any time soon. Shortly after Microsoft posted a lengthy blog post bashing the company and claiming that it is deliberately harming Windows Phone, it has surfaced that Windows Phone users who attempt to access "maps.google.com" are redirected to Google's search page instead.

It doesn't matter if users have the handset in desktop mode, the same redirect is in place. For now at least, Windows Phone users can still access maps by going to "maps.google.co.uk", however, presumabely due to the scrutiny that Google is under in Europe. The block is in effect for both Windows Phone 7.5 and 8.

This comes after claims by Microsoft's Vice President Dave Heiner who, on Wednesday, stated in a blog post that "just last month we [at Microsoft] learned from YouTube that senior executives at Google told them not to enable a first-class YouTube experience on Windows Phones." The piece goes on to state that Google is deliberately taking steps to harm its competition while expressing disapproval with the FTC's lax response.

The FTC's antitrust investigations was wrapped up after months with a promise on Google's part to change some of its ways. As it seems, some of those changed ways include blocking its competitor's customers from accessing its online mapping service. Do you have a Windows Phone? Let us know in the comments if you can access Maps.

[via WMPoweruser]