Mexico has initiated legal action against Google following a change in the naming of the Gulf of Mexico, which is now referred to as the Gulf of America on the company’s mapping platform.
On Friday, President Claudia Sheinbaum announced the lawsuit, stating it would proceed if the designation of the “American Gulf” persists in Google’s map services.
This move follows President Donald Trump’s executive order, issued on his first day back in the White House in January, which renamed the northern section of the US Gulf. The waters delineate boundaries between the US and Mexico; however, Trump’s directive is only applicable within US territory.
In February, Sheinbaum had initially threatened to take legal action over this name change. She contended that Trump’s order is relevant solely to sections of the continental shelf governed by the US.
“What Google is doing here is renaming the continental shelves off Mexico and Cuba. This does not pertain to Trump’s orders, which apply only to US shelves,” Sheinbaum remarked to reporters. “We disagree with this, and the Foreign Minister has dispatched a letter to address the issue.”
She labeled the name change as “incorrect” and emphasized that Trump’s order only modified the name within the continental shelf extending from US shores.
On Google Maps, the waters are indicated as the US Gulf of the United States, covering areas throughout the Gulf of Mexico.
The announcement of Sheinbaum’s lawsuit follows the passing of the Gulf Law by House Republicans, who voted 211-206 in favor of the first stage of implementing Trump’s order. This proposal is now moving to the Senate.
