The 10th of May, 2025, in Mexico City — Following Google’s decision to change the name of the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America” on its mapping systems for users living in the United States, the Mexican government has begun legal proceedings against the internet giant. This modification is in accordance with an executive order that was issued by President Donald Trump of the United States earlier this year. On May 10, 2025, the New York Post published an article about the news.
Historical Context of the Conflict
After returning to the White House in January, President Trump signed an executive order that mandated the renaming of the northern portion of the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.” This changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico. However, the directive is only applicable to the continental shelf of the United States, which accounts for around 46 percent of the Gulf of Mexico. According to data provided by NPR, Mexico owns around 49% of the territory, while Cuba controls the remaining 5%.
After receiving the directive, Google made the necessary adjustments to its Maps platform in order to accommodate the new nomenclature for users located in the United States. The body of water was given the name “Gulf of America.” The Mexican government has expressed their disapproval of this action, which was reported by NPR, as it has been deemed to be a misrepresentation of the international marine limits.
Legal Measures Taken by Mexico
During a press briefing, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum made the announcement of the case. She also expressed her severe disagreement to Google’s move, which she believes misrepresents international marine limits and violates Mexico’s sovereignty. It was stated by CNN that the announcement was made on May 9th, 2025.
For more than four hundred years, the Gulf of Mexico has been acknowledged as a body of water. According to a statement from El País, Sheinbaum stated in February that what Google is doing in this situation is changing the name of the continental shelf of Mexico and Cuba. This change has nothing to do with the decision that Trump issued.
A favourable legal ruling has already been made by the Superior Court of Justice of Mexico City, which has ordered Google to restore the old name. This information was revealed by El País.
The Stance of Google
A long-standing policy of sticking to official government sources for geographic names has been cited by Google as the basis for its decision to defend its earlier decision. Cris Turner, the Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy at Google, reaffirmed in a letter to the Mexican government that users in Mexico would continue to see the term “Gulf of Mexico,” while users in the United States would see the name “Gulf of America,” and users in other countries would see both names. According to PBS, this was reported.
Concerns Raised Regarding International Law and Sovereignty
They say that the United States does not have the legal authority to unilaterally rename a body of water that is shared with other countries, and President Sheinbaum and Mexican officials support this position. As stated by the BBC, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea stipulates that the extent of a nation’s sovereign territory is limited to a maximum of 12 nautical miles from its shore.
According to BBC, any name change should only apply to the continental shelf of the United States of America and not to any portion of the territory that falls under the jurisdiction of Mexico or Cuba.
repercussions on the political and media fronts
Both political disputes and media conflicts have been sparked as a result of the rebranding. Trump’s command was recently supported by the Gulf of America Act, which was just passed by the House of Representatives of the United States. The Times published an article about this.
A statement that was published in The Times noted that Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who supported the bill, referred to the renaming as a patriotic attempt.
Moreover, access limits were imposed on journalists who refused to use the new phrase. These restrictions were eventually rejected by a federal judge who cited the Fourth Amendment rights of the journalists. Associated Press News reported on this new development.
Cultural and Historical Importance of the Location
Since more than four centuries ago, the Gulf of Mexico has been referred to by that term, which carries with it a substantial amount of historical and cultural significance for the region. In an attempt to bring attention to the ridiculousness of unilateral name changes, President Sheinbaum made a satirical suggestion to rename the United States of America as “Mexican America” based on a historical document.
