Fri May 09 20:49:29 UTC 2025: ## Mexico Sues Google Over “Gulf of America” Name Change
**Mexico City, [Date]** – Mexico has filed a lawsuit against Google, escalating its dispute with the tech giant over the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America” on Google Maps for US users. The lawsuit, announced Friday by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, follows previous diplomatic efforts to persuade Google to revert the change, which mirrors a controversial executive order from former US President Donald Trump.
Trump’s January 2020 order, designating the body of water as the “Gulf of America,” sparked immediate backlash from Mexico. While Google Maps displays “Gulf of Mexico” for users outside the US, the change within the US prompted Mexico’s foreign ministry to send letters to Google, urging them to maintain the long-standing name. Google’s refusal, based on their adherence to the US Geographic Names System, led to the legal action.
The Mexican government argues that if a new name is to be adopted, it should only apply to the US portion of the gulf, aligning with the US-Mexico maritime border. The dispute has further inflamed tensions, already high due to Trump’s other controversial actions, including attempts to rename Denali to Mount McKinley.
The controversy has gained further traction in the US Congress, where the House of Representatives recently voted, largely along party lines, to formally adopt “Gulf of America” as the official name. However, the bill faces an uncertain future in the Senate.
This legal action marks the latest development in a broader confrontation over the renaming, which has also seen the White House attempt to restrict access for news agencies, like the Associated Press, that continued to use “Gulf of Mexico,” a move later blocked by a federal judge. The long-standing name, used for over 400 years, remains a point of contention between the two nations.
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