Google Maps isn’t free for all. Back in April 2011, the company began charging for extremely heavy use of its Google Maps application programming interface (API), the system that allowed companies like Apple and Foursquare to rely on Google Maps for their mobile location services. The charges were $4.00 for every 1,000 map loads.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=157465