Mexico has filed a lawsuit against Google after the tech company changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America on its US-based maps after an executive order on the change was issued by President Donald Trump.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed the legal action during a press briefing Friday but did not disclose further details about the suit. The move follows a series of warnings from Mexican officials, including threats of legal action earlier this year and letters urging Google not to implement the name change.
"We are going to wait. We are already seeing, observing what this would mean from the perspective of legal advice, but we hope that they will make a revision," Sheinbaum said in February, according to Fox News. At the time, she criticized Google for extending the change beyond what Trump’s order covered, stating, "What Google is doing here is changing the name of the continental shelf of Mexico and Cuba, which has nothing to do with Trump’s decree, which applied only to the US continental shelf.”
After taking office, Trump signed an executive order officially renaming the body of water as the "Gulf of America" within the United States. The name change has not been internationally recognized, and most countries, including Mexico, continue to refer to the body of water as the Gulf of Mexico.
Currently, Google Maps reflects the change only within the US, labeling the body of water as the Gulf of America for users located there, while it remains listed as the Gulf of Mexico elsewhere. The company defended its decision by pointing to its “longstanding practice” of adhering to the US government’s lead regarding names. Google has also stated that in cases where official names are different by country, its policy is for users to see the official local names.
In February, Sheinbaum shared a letter from Google’s Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy, who indicated the company would not alter its policy following Trump’s order.
The US House of Representatives recently voted 211-206 to codify Trump’s order under the “Gulf of America Act,” with the legislation now awaiting action in the Senate.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed the legal action during a press briefing Friday but did not disclose further details about the suit. The move follows a series of warnings from Mexican officials, including threats of legal action earlier this year and letters urging Google not to implement the name change.
"We are going to wait. We are already seeing, observing what this would mean from the perspective of legal advice, but we hope that they will make a revision," Sheinbaum said in February, according to Fox News. At the time, she criticized Google for extending the change beyond what Trump’s order covered, stating, "What Google is doing here is changing the name of the continental shelf of Mexico and Cuba, which has nothing to do with Trump’s decree, which applied only to the US continental shelf.”
After taking office, Trump signed an executive order officially renaming the body of water as the "Gulf of America" within the United States. The name change has not been internationally recognized, and most countries, including Mexico, continue to refer to the body of water as the Gulf of Mexico.
Currently, Google Maps reflects the change only within the US, labeling the body of water as the Gulf of America for users located there, while it remains listed as the Gulf of Mexico elsewhere. The company defended its decision by pointing to its “longstanding practice” of adhering to the US government’s lead regarding names. Google has also stated that in cases where official names are different by country, its policy is for users to see the official local names.
In February, Sheinbaum shared a letter from Google’s Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy, who indicated the company would not alter its policy following Trump’s order.
The US House of Representatives recently voted 211-206 to codify Trump’s order under the “Gulf of America Act,” with the legislation now awaiting action in the Senate.
