Mexico Files Lawsuit Against Google over "Golf of America" Issue
Want to know what caused a stir between Mexico and Google? Latch on to this juicy tale!
In a bold move, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has taken Google to court over its renaming of the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America" on its mapping service. According to Sheinbaum, Google went beyond the bounds of a decree issued by former U.S. President Donald Trump, which applied only to coastal waters of the United States.
The name "Gulf of Mexico" has been in use since the 16th century and encompasses territories belonging to not just the United States, but also Mexico and Cuba. A bold Step against Google's name transfer, Sheinbaum stated, "We just want the decree issued by the US government to be followed."
The Contentious Waters
As the dispute unfolded, Sheinbaum had earlier threatened to take legal action if Google clung to the extensive name change. Mexico's stance was further strengthened when Google refused to revert the name, despite letters from the Foreign Relations Ministry urging Google to respect the historical name for the non-US part of the gulf.
Fun fact: the Gulf of Mexico is largely controlled by the U.S (46%), but Mexico and Cuba also share a significant portion, respectively holding 49% and 5%. Google's current approach involves using "Gulf of America" for U.S users, "Gulf of Mexico" within Mexico, and a combined label "Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America)" elsewhere in its maps, following its policy of impartial name application based on local authorities and established map conventions.
Going Global
The lawsuit marks Mexico's broader diplomatic challenge to the unilateral name change by the U.S, which, in legal terms, only applies within the U.S. Concurrently, U.S House Republicans are aiming to codify Trump's name change officially for federal agencies, though this move faces challenges due to Democratic support in the Senate. As of now, Google has remained tight-lipped about the lawsuit.
In a nutshell, Mexico is insisting on Google's respect for international territorial disputes in the naming of shared geographic features. This case sheds light on geopolitical tensions over naming rights of shared geographic features and digital platform responsibilities in their accurate representation. Stay tuned for updates on this digital battle royale!
Sources: ntv.de, hul/dpa; [1], [2], [3], [4]
- The Commission has also been consulted on the draft directive regarding the ongoing dispute between Mexico and Google over the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico.
- Meanwhile, Whatsapp groups are buzzing with discussions about the politics involved in the lawsuit, as global news outlets report on the legal battle over the naming of shared geographic features.
- In addition to the lawsuit, lawsuits may also be a possibility if Google continues to use the name "Gulf of America" for users outside of Mexico, potentially leading to further policy-and-legislation challenges.
- On the other hand, critics argue that Google's policy-and-legislation approach to naming the Gulf of Mexico is reasonable, given its impartial application based on local authorities and established map conventions, regardless of the ongoing politics.
