Mexico Sues Google Over Gulf Name

Mexico filed a lawsuit against Google over its decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” on its Maps platform for US users, the government announced over the weekend, following mounting tensions over a move prompted by an executive order in January by US President Donald Trump, the Guardian reported. 

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced the lawsuit against the tech giant on Friday, offering few details. 

The announcement comes a day after the US House of Representatives passed the “Gulf of America Act,” to codify the name change for federal agencies. The bill’s approval comes months after Trump signed an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America on his first day in office. 

Following the order, the US Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) made the change official. Google followed suit by updating the name of the area on its Maps platform.

Mexico warned in February that it would pursue legal action if the company did not reverse its decision, citing diplomatic and territorial concerns. 

But the company responded that the decision is part of its long-standing practice of applying name changes when they are updated in official government sources, according to the Hill. 

In her announcement, Sheinbaum said the executive order only applies to the US portion of the continental shelf and accused Google of exceeding that scope by changing labels for areas under Mexican and Cuban jurisdiction.  

According to the database Sovereign Limits, Mexico controls 49 percent of the Gulf, while the US controls 46 percent and Cuba five percent. 

Currently, Google Maps users in the US see the label “Gulf of America,” while those in Mexico see “Gulf of Mexico,” and international users see both names. 

Observers noted it’s unlikely that the US bill will be approved by the Senate. Even if it were, other countries are not obliged to use the new name.