Briefly: Mexico is just not pleased about Google altering the identify of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America on Google Maps. The nation is now threatening to sue the tech firm if it would not restore the unique identify.
Google Maps modified the physique of water’s identify to the Gulf of America earlier this month. It adopted President Trump’s proclamation that decreed the renaming and the following identify change by the federal Board on Geographic Names.
Mexico’s president Claudia Sheinbaum mentioned on Monday that Trump’s order solely applies to the a part of continental shelf below US management, which extends 22 nautical miles from the US coast – not the complete Gulf. However Google is altering the identify of the portion of the Gulf that features Mexico’s and Cuba’s continental cabinets.
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%.
“We don’t agree with this, and the Overseas Minister has despatched a brand new letter addressing the problem,” Sheinbaum mentioned. The letter states that certainly not does Mexico settle for the renaming of any geographic space that features a part of its nationwide territory and that’s below its jurisdiction.
The letter to Google provides that “any reference to the ‘Gulf of America’ initiative in your Google Maps platform have to be strictly restricted to the marine space below U.S. jurisdiction.”
“Any extension past that zone exceeds the authority of any nationwide authorities or personal entity. Ought to that be the case, the Authorities of Mexico will take the suitable authorized actions as deemed mandatory,” it states.
We have obtained a number of questions on naming inside Google Maps. We now have a longstanding follow of making use of identify adjustments once they have been up to date in official authorities sources.
– Information from Google (@NewsFromGoogle) January 27, 2025
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.
Sheinbaum mentioned final week {that a} civil go well with might be launched towards Google if it didn’t right what she known as an “inaccurate designation.”
The Mexican authorities has been in talks with Google over the problem since January. It’ll look forward to the corporate’s response to the letter earlier than continuing with any authorized motion.
Google says the identify change on Maps is a part of its long-standing coverage of adhering to official authorities names for places and different geographical options.
Cris Turner, Google’s vp of presidency affairs and public coverage, instructed Sheinbaum’s authorities that Google was keen to fulfill in individual however wouldn’t change its coverage.
“Whereas worldwide treaties and conventions are usually not meant to control how personal mapping suppliers signify geographic options, it’s our constant coverage to seek the advice of a number of authoritative sources to supply the freshest and correct illustration of the world,” he mentioned.
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 method.