Mexico Sues Google Over “Gulf of America” Label on US Maps

The Mexican government has officially filed a lawsuit against Google for renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” on its US maps, in response to an executive order issued by US President Donald Trump. The lawsuit was confirmed last week by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

“Google has already been sued. A preliminary ruling has been issued, and we are awaiting further developments,” Sheinbaum stated during her daily press conference.

She clarified that her administration is not challenging the executive order itself but is demanding that Google limit its application to US territory. According to Sheinbaum, the renaming should not extend to Mexican or Cuban waters, as the naming of international bodies of water falls under international jurisdiction.

“Trump has no authority to rename the entire gulf. That is a matter of international governance,” she said. “What we are asking is simple: label the US portion as the ‘Gulf of America,’ but retain the name ‘Gulf of Mexico’ for the areas belonging to Mexico and Cuba.”

Sheinbaum also noted that she has not personally discussed the matter with Trump but reiterated that the lawsuit is aimed at reinstating the original name on digital maps where it applies. “We are just telling Google: ‘Comply with what was approved by the US government, nothing more.’ That is the heart of the dispute,” she emphasized.

As of now, Google has not released any public statement regarding the lawsuit or the preliminary ruling.

Map Controversy

The dispute intensified in February when users in the United States reported that both Google and Apple had updated their maps to display the Gulf of America in place of the Gulf of Mexico. Google later confirmed that its update followed changes made by the US Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).

Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Juan Ramón de la Fuente, responded firmly, stating that “under no circumstances” would Mexico accept the renaming of any geographic area that includes its national territory or falls under its jurisdiction.

This is not the first time Google has faced backlash over geopolitical map labels. As reported by The Guardian, the company has previously adapted names in regions with naming disputes. For example, the body of water between Japan and South Korea appears as the “Sea of Japan (East Sea)” in some versions. In 2012, Iran threatened legal action when Google removed the name Persian Gulf from its maps. The company later updated the label to read “Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf)” in countries outside the region.