Mexico sues Google over renaming the Gulf of Mexico

Google found itself at the center of an international conflict after the company’s maps began showing the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” – at the behest of former U.S. President Donald Trump. Now Mexico is demanding through the courts that the historic name be restored.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has announced that her administration has formally filed a lawsuit against Google. The occasion was the change in the name of the bay in the English-language version of Google Maps for users outside Mexico. At home, the name remained the same – Gulf of Mexico, but for foreign users, the service began to display the words “Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America).

Sheinbaum said the U.S. does not have the authority to rename the entire gulf because it washes the shores of several countries at once. “We can’t interfere with the names of mountains, rivers or states in someone else’s territory. Likewise, other countries cannot change geographic names on our territory,” she emphasized.

What’s behind the conflict

The renaming of the Gulf of Mexico is an initiative of Donald Trump’s administration. At the beginning of his presidential term, an executive order was signed to change the US mapping services, according to which the southern water area of the US should be called Gulf of America. This change formally applies only to the part of the gulf under US jurisdiction. However, Google has extended it to international versions of the map as well.

Mexico demanded that the new name be removed back in February, sending official letters to Google. However, a response from the company’s vice president of government relations, Chris Turner, was not enough: he said Google had no plans to change the policy.

Mexico demanded the removal of the new name back in February, sending official letters to Google.

U.S. lawmaker and company reaction

In addition to Google’s actions, the U.S. Congress last week approved a bill cementing the new name at the federal level. This has only heightened Mexico’s concerns, as it is not just the name at stake, but also the issue of territorial sovereignty.

Of the major IT companies, Google and Apple were the first to react to Trump’s executive order, updating the names on their apps by Feb. MapQuest, however, refused to participate in the renaming and even launched a special page mocking the decision.

Why it matters

The lawsuit is based on a principle of international law: geographical names affecting several countries cannot be changed unilaterally. Sheinbaum emphasizes that the case is as much about prestige as it is about the accurate representation of facts on global maps.

Sheinbaum emphasizes that the case is not just about prestige, but also about the accurate representation of facts on global maps.

Do you think large IT companies should follow the internal political decisions of individual countries, especially if they affect international sites?”

The story Mexico sues Google over renaming the Gulf of Mexico was first published on ITZine.ru.