Mexico Sues Google Over “Gulf of America” Name Change

The Mexican government, led by President Claudia Sheinbaum, is taking legal action against Google over its decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” for U.S. users on its Google Maps service. This move comes after repeated requests from Mexico to reverse the change were allegedly ignored.

While the Mexican President has not disclosed where the lawsuit was filed. Google has yet to issue a public statement on the matter.

The controversy began when the U.S. House of Representatives voted to officially rename the Gulf for federal agencies, following an executive order signed by then-President Donald Trump. Trump justified the change by stating the U.S. “do most of the work there, and it’s ours.”

However, the Mexican government argues that the U.S. decree should only apply to the U.S. portion of the continental shelf, asserting that the U.S. lacks the authority to rename the entire Gulf. President Sheinbaum has been vocal about her opposition, sending a letter to Google earlier this year requesting reconsideration of the name change and later threatening legal action.

Google previously stated that the change was part of a “longstanding practice” of reflecting name changes updated by official government sources. The company also noted that the name would not be changed for users in Mexico, and users in other parts of the world would see the label: “Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America)”.

The naming dispute has sparked controversy, with historical precedent adding fuel to the fire. The Associated Press (AP) news agency even faced restrictions from the White House after refusing to adopt the “Gulf of America” name.

The situation echoes another potential renaming controversy, as Trump reportedly considered renaming the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Gulf or the Gulf of Arabia during a visit to Saudi Arabia. This drew sharp criticism from Iranian officials, highlighting the sensitivity surrounding geographical names and their political implications.

The legal battle between Mexico and Google underscores the complexities of digital mapping and the importance of respecting geographical and cultural sensitivities. The outcome of this lawsuit could set a precedent for how tech companies handle similar naming disputes in the future.

Related Topics: Mexico, United States, Google, International Relations