Mexico has warned of potential legal action against Google after the tech giant renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” on its mapping platform for US-based users. President Claudia Sheinbaum announced on Monday that her government would file a lawsuit if Google fails to reverse the name change, arguing it infringes on Mexico’s territorial waters.
Sheinbaum clarified that the renaming follows an executive order signed by former US President Donald Trump in January 2025, but only applies to the portion of the Gulf under US jurisdiction. She stressed that this order does not extend to the areas belonging to Mexico or Cuba. “Google has no right to rename the continental shelf belonging to Mexico and Cuba,” Sheinbaum said, highlighting that the Gulf is shared by the three countries.
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The Mexican government had raised concerns with Google earlier this year, urging the company to respect its territorial claims. Sheinbaum reiterated that Mexico would not accept the renaming of any geographic area that includes part of its national waters, and a new letter has been sent to Google making it clear that the name “Gulf of America” should be restricted to the US-controlled portion.
Google defended its decision, stating that its map labels reflect names prescribed by official government sources. The company assured that users in Mexico would continue to see “Gulf of Mexico” on their maps, while users in other countries would see both names. Google added that it is open to engaging in a “constructive dialogue” to resolve the issue.
President Sheinbaum also humorously suggested that if the US insists on renaming the Gulf, perhaps the country should be renamed “Mexican America,” referring to the era before 1848 when Mexico lost a significant portion of its territory to the United States.
As the controversy unfolds, Apple has also followed Trump’s executive order, renaming the Gulf of Mexico on its platform for US users. Mexico is awaiting Google’s response before deciding whether to proceed with a civil lawsuit to protect its territorial integrity.
