Mexico sues Google over ‘Gulf of America’ label on maps
Mexico had previously lodged formal diplomatic complaints, warning that legal action would follow if the decision was not reversed.
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Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced on Friday that her government is suing Google over its labelling of the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” on Google Maps for users in the United States. The move follows a controversial directive from US President Donald Trump, ordering the rebranding of the historic body of water.
According to CBS News, the name change was quietly rolled out by Google in February. While the label remains “Gulf of Mexico” for users in Mexico, US and international users now see: “Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America)”. The US House of Representatives recently escalated the situation by passing a bill to formally codify the change.
Mexico had previously lodged formal diplomatic complaints, warning that legal action would follow if the decision was not reversed. President Sheinbaum stated at a press briefing: “No single country can unilaterally rename an international body of water. The part that corresponds to Mexico can’t be renamed. The part that corresponds to Cuba can’t be renamed either.”
Google’s Vice President of Government Affairs, Cris Turner, responded to the earlier complaints by confirming the company had no plans to revert the label. Apple has since adopted the updated terminology, while rival mapping service MapQuest has not, even issuing a tongue-in-cheek statement mocking the change.
The Trump administration has reportedly exerted pressure on both media and tech platforms to adopt the “Gulf of America” label. The Associated Press was temporarily barred from White House briefings for refusing to use the term — a ban that was overturned by a federal judge last month.
