Mexico Sues Google Over Renaming Gulf of Mexico to 'Gulf of America'

• May 12, 2025

President Claudia Sheinbaum accuses tech giant of ignoring pleas to stop using the controversial name on U.S. maps.

Mexico has filed a lawsuit against Google after the company renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America" on its map services for users in the United States, according to President Claudia Sheinbaum.

Sheinbaum criticized Google for ignoring multiple official requests to reverse the name change, which was made after an executive order by former U.S. President Donald Trump. She did not specify in which jurisdiction the lawsuit had been filed.

The controversy stems from Trump’s first day back in office in January, when he signed an executive order urging U.S. federal agencies to adopt the name "Gulf of America." Trump defended the move by claiming that the U.S. plays the largest role in the region and therefore deserves naming rights.

However, the Mexican government argues that the U.S. has no authority to unilaterally rename the entire body of water, which also borders Mexico and Cuba. "All we want is for the U.S. decree to be applied only where it legally applies—its own continental shelf," Sheinbaum stated.

In January, Sheinbaum sent a formal letter to Google asking them to reject the new name. When the company declined to reverse the decision, she issued a warning in February that legal action would follow.

Google responded by saying it was simply following a long-standing policy of aligning with official government sources. It noted that the name "Gulf of America" is only visible to U.S. users, while those in Mexico and elsewhere still see the traditional name or a dual label: "Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America)."

The renaming has sparked broader tensions. The Associated Press refused to adopt the new name, resulting in the White House limiting its access to certain press events—a restriction that a federal judge overturned in April.

In a related development, Trump recently hinted he may push to rename another major body of water—the Persian Gulf—as the "Arabian Gulf" or "Gulf of Arabia" during his upcoming trip to Saudi Arabia.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi warned that such a move would provoke widespread backlash from Iranians, calling it an "absurd" and potentially inflammatory provocation.