ES2015 introduced new data structures like WeakMap and WeakSet alongside Map and Set.WeakMaps provide a way to store keys weakly, allowing values to be garbage collected when key references are lost.Before the introduction of maps, JavaScript objects were primarily used for key-value storage.Objects in JavaScript can only have string keys, limiting the types of keys that can be used.Maps allow the storage of non-string keys in objects, offering more flexibility than objects.WeakMaps are beneficial for scenarios where extending objects without memory leaks is essential.Use cases for WeakMaps include keeping private data, tracking library objects, and managing data for a small set of objects efficiently.While WeakMaps have limitations compared to regular maps, they are valuable for scenarios requiring object extension without memory leaks.Benjamin Gruenbaum is the author of this post and is involved in various open-source projects related to JavaScript.Overall, WeakMaps are recommended for specific scenarios where maintaining object references without memory leaks is crucial.