Mexico threatens to sue Google over Gulf of Mexico name change
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum threatened to sue Google Thursday over its decision to update its maps platform to reflect President Trump’s decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.”
Sheinbaum argued at her daily press conference that Google is incorrect in renaming the entire body of water as the Gulf of America because Trump’s executive order only applies to the U.S. continental shelf.
She warned that the Mexican government may bring a civil suit against the tech giant if necessary.
“Who we have a dispute with is Google,” Sheinbaum said, according to a translation from Bloomberg. “If they keep insisting, we’ll consider a lawsuit.”
Google Maps announced Monday it had updated the name of the body of water to the Gulf of America for its U.S. users after the U.S. Geographic Names Information System made the change official.
Users in Mexico will continue to see the name as Gulf of Mexico, while those elsewhere in the world will see both names written as "Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America)." Apple Maps and Bing Maps have also updated their systems to reflect the change.
Sheinbaum sent a letter to Google last month after it announced its plans to change the name of the body of water.
“To change the name of an international sea, it is not a country that changes it. It is an international organization that does this,” she said at the time, according to a translation by Al Jazeera.
Trump signed an executive order renaming the gulf on his first day in office. The Department of the Interior announced days later that "the Gulf of Mexico will now officially be known as the Gulf of America."
It noted that the U.S. Board on Geographic Names was working to update the name in the U.S. Geographic Names Information System. Shortly after, Google said it would make the change once it was officially updated in the database for geographic names.
The Encyclopedia Britannica said Wednesday it will continue to use the Gulf of Mexico, noting that the gulf "is an international body of water, and the U.S.'s authority to rename it is ambiguous."
It also emphasized that it serves an international audience and that the body of water has been referred to as the Gulf of Mexico for more than 425 years. The president of Mexico touted the move Thursday.
The Associated Press has similarly opted to call the Gulf of Mexico “by its original name while acknowledging the new name Trump has chosen.” The AP said its reporters had been barred from covering several events at the White House this week for refusing to “align its editorial standards” with the president's executive order.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the decision Wednesday, saying, “We reserve the right to decide who gets to go into the Oval Office.”
“If we feel there are lies being pushed by outlets in this room, we are going to hold those lies accountable,” she added. “And it is a fact that the body of water off the coast of Louisiana is called the Gulf of America, and I’m not sure why news outlets don’t want to call it that but that is what it is.”
Topics
-
Bristling at 'Gulf of Mexico' name change on maps, Mexico says it might sue Google
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum says her government is not ruling out filing a civil lawsuit against Google if it maintains its stance of calling the stretch of sea between northeastern Mexico ...ABC News - 2h -
Apple renames Gulf of Mexico as Gulf of America on maps
Apple Maps has renamed the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America, after the Trump administration updated the U.S. database for geographic names to reflect the president’s order renaming the body of ...The Hill - 1d -
Apple changes Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America based on Trump's order
Apple has changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America on its maps after an order by President Donald Trump was made official by the U.S. Geographic Names Information SystemABC News - 1d -
White House Bars Reporter From Event Over A.P.’s Use of ‘Gulf of Mexico’
The Associated Press has said it would refer to the Gulf of Mexico “by its original name while acknowledging” President Trump’s choice to rename the body of water.The New York Times - 1d -
AP says reporter blocked from White House over ‘Gulf of Mexico’ policy
The Associated Press rebuked the White House after it said one of the outlet's reporters was barred from covering an executive order signing Tuesday afternoon. The barring of the journalist, the AP ...The Hill - 2d -
Here's How All Online Maps Are Handling the ‘Gulf of Mexico’ Name Change
Google is among the first companies to rename maps from Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America. Other software leaders, like Apple Maps, are starting to follow suit.Wired - 2d -
Google Maps updates Gulf of Mexico name for US users
The update aligns with Donald Trump's order that the body be referred to as the Gulf of America.BBC News - 2d -
Google Maps changes Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America for U.S. users
Google Maps has renamed the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America for anyone using the app in the United States. The change comes after President Trump signed an executive order to rename the body ...CBS News - 2d -
Google Maps now shows Gulf of Mexico as Gulf of America for U.S. users
Google Maps renamed the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America in its app — but only for U.S. users.CBS News - 2d
More from The Hill
-
Issa Rae cancels sold-out Kennedy Center after Trump takeover
Issa Rae is canceling her sold-out show at the Kennedy Center as the fallout for the Washington institution deepens after President Trump named himself chairman of its board. "Thank you so much for ...The Hill - 9m -
Egg prices are surging, so why are chicken prices stable?
Egg prices are out of control; does that mean chicken prices are next? Here's what to know.The Hill - 14m -
Kennedy's 'MAHA' era begins
Presented by American Medical Association — The Senate on Thursday confirmed Trump's latest Cabinet pick, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., raising the longtime vaccine skeptic to the highest health position ...The Hill - 21m -
Live updates: Trump, Modi talk trade and tariffs; Senate confirms Kennedy to lead HHS
President Trump welcomes his second global leader this week with a visit from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. Their meeting and joint press conference took place just hours after ...The Hill - 22m -
Trump’s Russia-Ukraine moves unnerve Senate GOP
President Trump’s first major moves toward peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine are unsettling Republicans in the Senate who want to make sure Russian President Vladimir Putin faces ...The Hill - 22m
More in Politics
-
Issa Rae cancels sold-out Kennedy Center after Trump takeover
Issa Rae is canceling her sold-out show at the Kennedy Center as the fallout for the Washington institution deepens after President Trump named himself chairman of its board. "Thank you so much for ...The Hill - 9m -
Egg prices are surging, so why are chicken prices stable?
Egg prices are out of control; does that mean chicken prices are next? Here's what to know.The Hill - 14m -
Kennedy's 'MAHA' era begins
Presented by American Medical Association — The Senate on Thursday confirmed Trump's latest Cabinet pick, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., raising the longtime vaccine skeptic to the highest health position ...The Hill - 21m -
Live updates: Trump, Modi talk trade and tariffs; Senate confirms Kennedy to lead HHS
President Trump welcomes his second global leader this week with a visit from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. Their meeting and joint press conference took place just hours after ...The Hill - 22m -
Trump’s Russia-Ukraine moves unnerve Senate GOP
President Trump’s first major moves toward peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine are unsettling Republicans in the Senate who want to make sure Russian President Vladimir Putin faces ...The Hill - 22m