this post was submitted on 13 Feb 2025

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Mexican President Threatens to Sue Google Over 'Gulf of America' Label on Maps. (www.commondreams.org)

submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

384 comments fedilink hide all child comments

The president of Mexico on Thursday expressed hope that Google "reconsiders" its decision to change its online maps to reflect U.S. President Donald Trump's claim that he has the authority to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico.

Shortly after taking office, Trump issued an executive order announcing he was changing the name of the body of water to the Gulf of America.

For U.S. users of Google Maps, the gulf was listed as the Gulf of America as of Thursday. Google, whose CEO attended Trump's inauguration along with other tech moguls, said last month it has "a long-standing practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources."

But Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum warned Thursday that her government "will file a civil suit" against Google if it does not revert back to labeling the international body of water the Gulf of Mexico.

(page 8) 41 comments

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[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 week ago (7 children)

Funny thing - I just checked yandex maps (because I'm bored) and it still shows "gulf of mexico" on it.

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[–] [email protected] 29 points 1 week ago

Don’t forget apple

[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 week ago

PLEASE.DO IT

[–] [email protected] 59 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (21 children)

I can see Google (and Apple) quietly paying a fine and changing it for Mexico (and any other jurisdiction that specifically asks).

This is stupid and cowardly of them, but that aside, the implication is 100% “comply, or the US government will make life difficult for Google.” I can see how they’re stuck between a rock and a hard place.

[–] [email protected] 72 points 1 week ago

Nah, they’re willing collaborators.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Step two of the plan you outlined was inverted by Google, but the effect is the same: IIRC it only shows up that way for US users.

Edit: apparently that was either a lie or incomplete info, see comments elsewhere in this thread.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

IIRC it only shows up that way for US users.

apparently that was either a lie or incomplete info

Where'd you first hear this?

Not judging, just curious about the information chain.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I can confirm that it shows up as both for me. I'm not in US or Mexico, and it shows as "Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America)". The info I saw was that it shows as GoA in the US, GoM in Mexico, and both everywhere else. At least 2 of those are true, I'm guessing all 3 are

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 week ago

This is stupid and cowardly of them,

What else did you expect?

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[+] [email protected] -44 points 1 week ago (4 children)

Google are an American company, and the government of the USA has changed the name. What else do people expect them to do?

Besides, it still say Gulf of Mexico if you're outside the USA.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 week ago (2 children)

What else do people expect them to do?

1.- Refuse-

2.- Apply only the part of the name change that's actually covered by US jurisdiction. The Gulf of Mexico extends noticeably beyond US's borders.

But hey this is Google we're talking about.

Besides, it still say Gulf of Mexico if you’re outside the USA.

If I'm a eg.: Colombian, it should be ~~"Gulf of Mexico"~~ "Golfo de México" wherever I stand, not "Gulf of America".

[–] [email protected] -2 points 1 week ago (3 children)

OK, but how is Google supposed to know what nationality you are?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Doesn't need to (but yeah yeah they're Google, I know...). They just should name it "Gulf of México" or whatever the translated name is to the user's device, and add an asterisk somewhere that shows a note to the effect of "a small fraction of Confederate remnants think it should be called 'Gulf of America'".

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

That is essentially what they've done by putting Gulf of America in brackets behind the original name.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

the government of the USA has changed the name

When did they do that?

Or are you one of those people who would agree if Trump said "I am the state"?

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (5 children)

If there existed any valid reasoning for the change... 🤷‍♂️

But the Felon Dicktater is only doing it so he can claim himself architect of global geographic change. Same reason he wants Greenland, Panama, Gaza, etc.

Fuck that.

I back Sheinbaum on this one. Won't matter, but do it anyway.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

That's a valid point, but why do you expect Google to take a principled stand on this? Take it up with your government.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago

In the world I want to live in...

Google would have taken a principled stand against such an attempt at a govt.

Instead, they bent the knee along with every other Tech Oligarch and, therefore, deserve the hit.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

Dicktater brought to mind very unpleasant images

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I'm thinking that there was a reason for the change; drilling for oil was blocked in the Gulf of Mexico.

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[–] [email protected] 104 points 1 week ago (3 children)

It shows up as "Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America)" outside of the US apparently. That seems like enough to make a fuss to me; bodies of international water have specific rules around name changes and the US can't unilaterally decide differently.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 week ago (1 children)

americans can call it whatever the fuck they want, that wont suddenly change its local or english name in any other countries

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 week ago (6 children)

Imagine being a tourist in the US, looking for an address you believe to be say, Martin Luther King Street. Can't find it anywhere, even on Google maps, then eventually you talk to someone and find out it's now called Elon Musk Avenue.

Not saying this is exactly the same, but if we're letting people change the names of places on commonly used global map software willy nilly, even if it's just region to region, we're gonna end up with problems. It's not like "freedom fries" back in the day that legitimately affected no one.

And I am suddenly seeing a parenthetical on the Gulf here outside the US, so there technically was a sudden change