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Organic Maps Co-Founder on Building a Privacy-First Google Maps Alternative | Alexander Borsuk

April 11, 2026 · 1 h 5 min

Show notes

Every time you open Google Maps, it knows where you are, what you searched, how long you stayed, and where you went next. Organic Maps collects none of that. In this interview, Henry sits down with Alexander Borsuk, co-founder of Organic Maps, to talk about what mainstream maps apps are collecting, how an entirely offline-first approach changes the privacy picture, and where Organic Maps is headed next, including live public transit and opt-in traffic data.

🔗 SOURCES & LINKS
• Organic Maps: https://organicmaps.app
• Organic Maps GitHub: https://github.com/organicmaps
• OpenStreetMap: https://openstreetmap.org
• OsmAnd: https://osmand.net

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS

  • (00:00) - INTRO
  • (02:26) - ORGANIC MAPS TEAM & STRUCTURE
  • (05:53) - MAP PRIVACY IMPLICATIONS
  • (12:19) - BUSINESS SEARCHING
  • (14:42) - CLOUD-FIRST VS. OFFLINE-FIRST
  • (17:05) - ORGANIC MAPS VS. APPLE MAPS W/ ADP
  • (24:20) - OPENSTREETMAP
  • (27:51) - GETTING INVOLVED & CONTRIBUTING
  • (34:20) - USABILITY & TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC
  • (41:02) - PUBLIC TRANSIT
  • (45:24) - RESTRICTION OF NO REAL-TIME DATA
  • (48:11) - LONGEVITY & BEHIND-THE-SCENES
  • (51:56) - THE NEXT 5 YEARS
  • (54:05) - TRAFFIC DATA
  • (57:13) - POKÉMON GO DATA HARVESTING
  • (59:48) - FINAL THOUGHTS
  • (01:01:45) - HOW TO CONNECT & FOLLOW

🎥 VIDEO
Watch on YouTube

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