Mexico threatens legal action over Gulf renaming on Google Maps

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Thursday her government may sue Google over its labeling of the sea between northeastern Mexico and the southeastern U.S. as the “Gulf of America,” a change prompted by President Donald Trump’s declaration to rename the body of water.

Newsweek has reached out to Google for comment.

The Context

The Gulf of Mexico is a historically significant and internationally recognized name. Changing it could lead to geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and Mexico, with potential legal and diplomatic ramifications.

What To Know

At her morning news conference, Sheinbaum said that Trump’s decree only applies to the U.S. continental shelf and does not affect Mexico’s sovereignty over the rest of the Gulf. Mexico sent a letter to Google disputing the name change, arguing the body of water cannot be universally renamed.

Google said it applies name changes based on official government sources. As of Thursday, how the Gulf is labeled on Google Maps varies based on the user’s location and other data.

Sheinbaum stressed that the Gulf of Mexico name dates to 1607 and is recognized by the United Nations. She also cited past naming disagreements, such as the Rio Bravo (Rio Grande) dispute between Mexico and the U.S.

She joked that, according to Mexico’s early constitutional history, the North American region was once referred to as “Mexican America.” She suggested Google could display that term for historical context.

Trump had floated the idea of renaming the Gulf before his second-term inauguration and signed an executive order on his first day back in office that officially renamed it “Gulf of America.” He also reverted the name of Mount Denali to Mount McKinley, asserting the moves were meant to “honor American greatness.”

The FAA released a charting notice to reflect these changes, with updated names appearing on aeronautical products and maps.

As of January 27, users in the U.S. will see the Gulf renamed to Gulf of America on Google Maps, while international users will see both names displayed side by side. Some U.S. lawmakers, including Republican Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, criticized Trump’s reversal of the Mount Denali renaming, highlighting its cultural and historical significance. In contrast, GOP Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was the first state official to adopt the Gulf of America name in an emergency declaration.

What People Are Saying

Sheinbaum, on Thursday: “We are going to wait, we are already seeing, observing what this would mean from the perspective of legal advice, but we hope that they will make a revision.

“All we are asking of Google is to look at the decree that the White House released, and that President Donald Trump signed. You’ll see in that decree, that it does not refer to the whole gulf.”

What Happens Next

Mexico may escalate the dispute by filing a lawsuit if no resolution is reached with Google. Further diplomatic discussions between the U.S. and Mexico could follow.