Mexico sues Google over renaming of Gulf of Mexico on US maps
2 Min Read
Mexico files a lawsuit against Google for renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America on US maps, citing sovereignty and international naming standards.
-
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum waves upon arrival for an event with national business leaders at the Anthropology Musuem in Mexico City, on Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP)
The Mexican government has filed a lawsuit against Google after the company allegedly changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, in the latest chapters of the showdown between the US President and his Mexican counterpart.
During her media briefing at the National Palace in Mexico City, Sheinbaum stated that the government had already raised concerns with Google about the naming discrepancy involving the body of water traditionally known as the Gulf of Mexico being labeled as the Gulf of America on the platform's US maps, emphasizing that these prior warnings went unheeded by the company.
"Google has already been sued. A preliminary ruling has been issued, and we are currently awaiting the outcome," Scheinbaum said, emphasizing that Mexico has no objection to the term "Gulf of America" being applied to the section of the Gulf that borders US territorial waters.
"However, Google cannot label the entire Gulf that way. This is an international issue. Our request is that Google apply the name 'Gulf of America' only to the areas corresponding to US territory, and use 'Gulf of Mexico' for the regions bordering Mexico and Cuba," she stated.
The Mexican government maintains that Trump’s executive order is limited to US territorial waters, specifically the area extending 22 nautical miles from the coast, and does not change the Gulf’s internationally accepted name, while officials contend that Google’s modifications inaccurately reflect the scope of the order and violate Mexico’s sovereign rights.
On January 20, his first day back in office, Trump signed the executive order directing federal agencies to implement the renaming process within 30 days, affecting not only the Gulf but also reversing the name of Denali in Alaska back to Mount McKinley.
Google officially complied with Trump's executive order on February 11, "People using Maps in the US will see ‘Gulf of America,’ and people in Mexico will see ‘Gulf of Mexico.’ Everyone else will see both names," the tech giant announced in a statement.
