Mexico City’s Mayor, Claudia Sheinbaum, announced on Thursday that her administration is evaluating the possibility of legal action against Google for altering the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America on its Maps platform.
Sheinbaum stated that the government is currently assessing the legal ramifications and hopes Google will reverse the name change, according to Reuters.
Digital has contacted Google for comment.
This change follows an executive order signed by former President Donald Trump. Google Maps users in the U.S. now see “Gulf of America,” while users outside the U.S. and Mexico see both names, the company confirmed.
Trump justified the renaming, stating, “We’re going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, which has a beautiful ring. That covers a lot of territory,” adding, “The Gulf of America. What a beautiful name. And it’s appropriate.”
Sheinbaum criticized this decision, emphasizing the Gulf of Mexico’s long-standing international recognition.
Sheinbaum urged Google to review the executive order, noting that it doesn’t encompass the entire gulf, and warned, “If necessary, we will file a civil suit. Our legal team is reviewing the implications, but we hope (Google) reconsiders.”
Besides Google, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a notice confirming its systems are updating the name, along with updating Mount McKinley in Alaska (formerly Denali).
“Please be advised that the FAA is in the process of updating our data and charts to show a name change from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America and a name change from Denali to Mount McKinley. This will be targeted for the next publication cycle,” the notice stated.