Mexico Warns of Legal Action Against Google Over ‘Gulf of America’ Map Change – One America News Network
OAN Staff Abril Elfi
3:52 PM – Monday, February 17, 2025
The first female president of Mexico has issued a warning to Google, stating that if the tech giant does not reinstate the label “Gulf of Mexico” on its widely used Google Maps application, the country will pursue legal action against them.
Advertisement
On Monday, President Claudia Sheinbaum declared that Mexico would take legal steps if Google continues to display the “Gulf of America” label for the entire body of water to users in the U.S.
Sheinbaum further contended that Donald Trump’s directive pertains only to the portion of the continental shelf that falls under U.S. jurisdiction.
“Google’s action is altering the name of the continental shelf belonging to Mexico and Cuba, which is unrelated to Trump’s order that only affects the U.S. continental shelf,” Sheinbaum explained to the press. “We reject this change, and our Foreign Minister has dispatched a new letter regarding this matter.”
Sheinbaum emphasized that the renaming is “erroneous,” clarifying that Trump’s measure “merely adjusted the label within U.S. jurisdiction, which extends 22 nautical miles from the coast—not the entire Gulf.”
During her briefing, Sheinbaum referenced Google’s response to a January letter sent by the Mexican government contesting the renaming decision.
“As we previously announced a couple of weeks ago, aligning with our product policies, we’ve begun implementing changes to Google Maps. We want to affirm that users in Mexico will continue to see ‘Gulf of Mexico,’” the communication from Google emphasized.
“U.S. users will see ‘Gulf of America’. Other users worldwide will see both names,” the correspondence indicated.
Sheinbaum reiterated that Mexico would send another letter to Google, asserting that “any reference to the ‘Gulf of America’ initiative on your Google Maps platform should be confined solely to U.S. territorial waters.”
“Any naming that extends beyond this area transcends the authority of any national government or private firm. If necessary, the Government of Mexico will undertake appropriate legal measures,” it concluded.
This week, Google modified the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America for its U.S. users, citing “a long-standing practice of adopting name changes based on updates from official government sources.”
Sheinbaum stated that Mexico awaits a response from Google before advancing with legal actions.
Stay informed! Receive breaking news updates directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
Advertisements below
