Mexico has initiated legal proceedings against Google for renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” on its U.S. platforms, a move following an executive order by President Donald Trump. The Mexican government contends that this change infringes upon its sovereignty, as the Gulf is a shared international body of water.
President Claudia Sheinbaum announced the lawsuit, emphasizing that Trump’s directive applies solely to the U.S. continental shelf. She stated, “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.”
Google’s Vice President of Government Affairs, Cris Turner, responded that the company adheres to “longstanding maps policies” and consults multiple authoritative sources for geographic naming. Despite Mexico’s objections, Google has maintained the “Gulf of America” label for U.S. users, while displaying “Gulf of Mexico” in Mexico and both names elsewhere.
The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed the Gulf of America Act, further solidifying the name change within U.S. jurisdiction. However, Mexico argues that this unilateral renaming disregards international norms and the historical designation of the Gulf.
President Sheinbaum has warned that if Google does not revert to the original naming, Mexico will pursue all necessary legal actions. She remarked, “If they continue to insist, we will too.”
