For sure, but for many people there's only Google Maps, and maybe Apple Maps. On the short term, catering to Google Maps makes sense. They'd add to another project if it were to be popular enough, and the network effect keeps Google Maps popular. Hence they get away with enshittification.

That's just another reason why it's worth adding that information to open street maps, if you are able to.

Compare the experience of adding stuff to OSM and to Google Maps. Much easier.

OSM is for nerds. Very hard to add even basic info. Google Maps it’s trivial.

Same as uploading photo to Google Maps is easier than adding it to WikiMedia Commons. Such is life.

(Ironically one of the biggest sources of photos is commons is Panoramio; before Google merged it with Google Maps, the photos there defaulted to Creative Commons.)

How do I update stuff in Google Maps? For OSM, its a case of opening Street Complete and tapping on things.

To add new features I have to use SCEE, which is more nerdy mainly because it involves using FDroid to install it. But I've no idea how to add, say a park bench to Google Maps.

Just tried it now and I found the experience incredibly easy:

On desktop, right click on the map and choose "Add a missing place." On mobile, long-press to drop a pin, then scroll down to "Add a missing place."

Does OSM require installing a parallel app store to add a park bench? Sounds like a UX-killer :/

Just tried it on mobile and that is nice and easy, especially if you want to add a business. Not sure how you add a bench that way as I couldn't see the option, but I might be looking in the wrong place.

You're right though, installing another app store is a non starter.

Good point -- I'm not sure if Google Maps tracks benches. (I'd guess it doesn't, but not positive.)

OSM should be scraping Google maps.

Legally how?

OSM has a two-way data sharing agreements directly with (among others) Apple and Bing/Microsoft. Additionally, the "Overture Foundation" with members including AWS/Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, and TomTom have a complicated indirect two-way data sharing agreement with OSM. (Overture Maps are a "curated" subset of OSM data and members are encouraged but not required to make contributions and updates to the maps directly upstream to OSM.)

Google probably sees their data as a moat and likely aren't interested in two-way data sharing. (Given how many of their competitors are now involved directly or indirectly with OSM or Overture, they may be correct.) OSM probably can't legally scrape it without an agreement in place.