Mexico threatens to sue Google over 'Gulf of America' listing

Mexico on Thursday threatened to sue Google over renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” for US-based Google Maps users, a move made to comply with an executive order issued by President Donald Trump.

“We do have a dispute with Google at the moment,” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said during her morning news conference. “And if necessary, we will file a civil suit.”

Trump signed executive orders shortly after his January 20 inauguration to rename the Gulf of Mexico and revert North America’s highest peak, Denali, to its previous name of Mount McKinley.

In response, Sheinbaum jokingly suggested renaming the United States to “Mexican America,” referencing territorial changes after the US seized one-third of Mexico’s land in 1848.

Google addressed the controversy, saying that users in the US would now see the “Gulf of America,” while users in Mexico would continue to see the “Gulf of Mexico.” “Everyone else will see both names,” the company clarified in a blog post.

The renaming has also drawn criticism from Indigenous groups in Alaska, who have long advocated for keeping the Denali name.

Similarly, Apple renamed the Gulf as the “Gulf of America” for US-based users of its mapping application, also complying with Trump’s executive order.