Mexico sues Google over ‘Gulf of America’ label on Maps

Google Maps

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced Friday that her administration is suing Google over its decision to label the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” for US users. According to a report by CBS News, this comes following a controversial name change directive from US President Donald Trump.

The dispute stems from an early-term Trump order to rebrand the body of water, a move that Google implemented on Maps by February 10. While the label remained “Gulf of Mexico” for users in Mexico, international and US versions now read “Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America).” The US House escalated matters further last week by passing a bill to codify the name change into law.

Mexico had previously issued formal complaints, with President Sheinbaum warning in February of legal action if Google didn’t reverse course. Now, she says the matter is headed to court. At a press conference, Sheinbaum emphasised that “the only thing we want is compliance with the decree issued by the United States government,” before clarifying that no single country can rename an international body of water. “The part that corresponds to Mexico can’t be renamed. The part that corresponds to Cuba can’t be renamed, either,” she added.

Google VP Cris Turner responded to Mexico’s earlier complaints by saying the company had no plans to revert the labeling. Apple has since mirrored the update, while MapQuest has resisted, even mocking the change.

The Trump administration has pressured both media and tech platforms to adopt the new term. The Associated Press was barred from press briefings for refusing to use “Gulf of America” — a ban overturned by a federal judge last month.

Google has yet to comment publicly on the lawsuit.