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]
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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.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

The suit should be by an American cartography company over the proper US Board on Geographic Names's official process not being followed for the name change.

I'm actually submitting a name change to the board through the official process. But since the USGS added a bit to the process saying that resetablishing historical names isn't a reason for a name change, I'm going to recommend it be changed to "The Gulf," since it meets all criteria for a name change - most importantly that it be a name in common usage by locals. Lots of people refer to it as "The Gulf," while "Gulf of America" isn't in common usage.

The most we can do outside of lawsuits is at least try to take the "America" part away.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 week ago

I’m going to recommend it be changed to “The Gulf,” since it meets all criteria for a name change - most importantly that it be a name in common usage by locals.

So now when I refer to "The Gulf States", I'm typically referring to Alabama and Florida and Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago

the proper US Board on Geographic Names’s official process not being followed for the name change.

This is the theme of this administration. Doing whatever they want with no regard for process. This gulf of "America" nonsense truly feels like the actions of a believed king or emperor. A frivolous decree that doesn't change anything, doesn't materially affect anything, just an opportunity to exercise their believed power.

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

Let's name it "the Gulf of America's pollution"