Mexico has officially filed a lawsuit against Google, escalating a significant international dispute over the tech giant’s labeling of the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” for its U.S. users.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed the legal action this Friday, though she did not provide extensive details about the lawsuit during her daily press briefing. The suit directly challenges Google’s cartographic representation, which was adopted following an executive order by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The conflict centers on Google Maps displaying the contentious name to users within the United States. Mexico vehemently opposes this change, arguing it undermines its territorial identity and disregards the internationally recognized name the body of water has held for over four centuries.
The Mexican government maintains that any “Gulf of America” designation must be strictly limited to waters over the U.S. continental shelf.
Google, in previous communications, including a February letter from its Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy, Cris Turner, indicated its mapping display—showing “Gulf of America” in the U.S., “Gulf of Mexico” in Mexico, and “Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America)” elsewhere—is consistent with its established global policy of impartial and regionally-based map labeling.
This legal battle throws into sharp relief the considerable influence of major technology platforms in shaping geopolitical narratives and the complex diplomatic challenges that arise when national directives clash with international sensitivities and historical nomenclature.
The lawsuit’s outcome could establish a critical precedent for how digital maps globally address politically contested geographical names, significantly impacting international maritime understanding and sovereign claims. The lawsuit follows U.S. lawmakers passing legislation to codify President Trump’s executive order into federal law.
The Genesis of the “Gulf of America” Label
The controversial name change was first implemented on Google Maps for U.S. users around February 11, stemming from US President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14172. This order, signed on January 20, 2025, aimed to “restore American pride” by reintroducing historically U.S.-centric place names.
Specifically, Executive Order 14172 directed the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to adopt the name ‘Gulf of America’ for an area of the U.S. continental shelf “extending to the seaward boundary with Mexico and Cuba,” as detailed by The White House. The U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) subsequently updated its records, reflecting directives outlined in Secretary’s Order 3423 to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America for U.S. federal use.
Google, in an official announcement, explained that the geographic labels users see are determined by their country location, derived from device settings, SIM cards, and network configurations.
This policy results in the varied display of the Gulf’s name depending on the user’s geographical point of access. Further complicating the U.S. internal landscape, some Republican lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives have also moved to enshrine the renaming into federal statute, a measure notably championed by Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, as reported by Mint.
Mexico’s Staunch Opposition and Legal Arguments
Mexico’s resistance to the name change has been unwavering. President Sheinbaum had previously cautioned Google in February 2025 that Mexico might pursue legal action if the company did not reverse its decision.
Speaking to AFP news agency, President Sheinbaum recently stated, “All we want is for the decree issued by the US government to be complied with. The US government only calls the portion of the US continental shelf the Gulf of America, not the entire gulf, because it wouldn’t have the authority to name the entire gulf.”
Her administration argues that Mexico’s sovereignty, under international maritime law, extends 12 nautical miles from its coastline, and any unilateral renaming beyond this limit lacks legal validity. This position was formally communicated to Google by Mexico’s Foreign Relations ministry, which asserted that “under no circumstance will Mexico accept the renaming of a geographic zone within its own territory and under its jurisdiction.”
The name “Gulf of Mexico” has been in consistent use since the early 1500s and is recognized by international bodies such as the International Hydrographic Organization, according to historical information available on Wikipedia. This historical context is central to Mexico’s argument.
Interestingly, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) had unanimously decided against a similar proposal to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America back in 2006. President Sheinbaum has also previously mentioned a counterproposal, suggesting that searches for “América Mexicana” should display a map presented by Mexico.
Google’s Position and Broader Geopolitical Landscape
Google has maintained that its actions align with its internal policies. Cris Turner, Google’s vice president of government affairs and public policy, stated in a February 2025 letter to the Mexican government that “While international treaties and conventions are not intended to regulate how private mapping providers represent geographic features, it is our consistent policy to consult multiple authoritative sources to provide the most up to date and accurate representation of the world.” The company has emphasized its commitment to providing an accurate representation of the world by consulting multiple authoritative sources.
Public sentiment in the U.S. also appears to lean against the change; a February 2025 poll by Marquette University, cited by Wikipedia, found that 71% of U.S. respondents opposed the ‘Gulf of America’ renaming.
The response from other major mapping platforms has varied, with services like Apple Maps and MapQuest continuing to display only “Gulf of Mexico.” This situation highlights the delicate balance tech companies must strike between adhering to local directives and maintaining global consistency.
The Associated Press itself navigates these naming complexities by generally using the original name while acknowledging the one chosen by Trump. It is worth noting, as a separate contextual matter from the primary source, that the AP had previously been involved in its own First Amendment legal dispute with the Trump administration regarding press access, which a federal judge resolved in AP’s favor.
