Mexico sues Google for renaming Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America

[ad_1] What simply occurred? Google is being sued by Mexico over the tech big's relabeling of the Gulf of Mexico because the Gulf of America for US Maps customers, regardless of repeated requests from the nation to revert the change. Google made the replace in February following President Trump's proclamation that decreed the renaming and the next identify change by the federal Board on Geographic Names.

Trump signed the manager order altering the identify of the physique of water on his first day in workplace in January.

Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote a letter to Google quickly after asking it to rethink its choice to point out the change on Google Maps. She shared a reply from Google VP of presidency affairs and public coverage Cris Turner stating the corporate had no plans to vary its coverage. A month later, Sheinbaum threatened to take Google to courtroom if it did not rename the placement.

Google says the identify change on Maps is a part of its long-standing coverage of adhering to official authorities names for areas and different geographical options.

Though Google Maps customers within the US now see the Gulf of America identify, it seems as Gulf of Mexico to these in Mexico. The remainder of the world sees each names on Google Maps.

Mexico argues that the coverage violates Mexican sovereignty because the US has jurisdiction over round 46% of the Gulf, whereas Mexico controls 49% and Cuba controls 5%.

Sheinbaum stated that Trump's government order solely applies to the portion of the continental shelf belonging to the US.

"All we would like is for the decree issued by the US authorities to be complied with," Sheinbaum stated.

"The US authorities solely calls the portion of the US continental shelf the Gulf of America, not the whole gulf, as a result of it would not have the authority to call the whole gulf," she added.

We have obtained a couple of questions on naming inside Google Maps. We've got a longstanding observe of making use of identify modifications after they have been up to date in official authorities sources.

– Information from Google (@NewsFromGoogle) January 27, 2025

On Thursday, the US Home of Representatives accredited laws to codify the coverage of renaming the Gulf for Mexico. It makes the change official for federal companies, which can be directed to replace thier maps accordingly.

CBS Information writes that Sheinbaum introduced the lawsuit in her day by day press briefing, however didn't present particulars of the swimsuit.

When Trump first introduced the renaming plans forward of his inauguration, Sheinbaum remarked that Google ought to rename North America to América Mexicana, or Mexican America, as a result of an 1814 founding doc that preceded Mexico's structure referred to it that means.