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United States The Courts

Mexico Sues Google Over Changing Gulf of Mexico's Name For US Users (theguardian.com) 58

Mexico has filed a lawsuit against Google for changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to "Gulf of America" for U.S. users on Google Maps, following a Republican-led House vote on Thursday to codify the name change. President Claudia Sheinbaum argues the U.S. only has authority to rename its portion of the continental shelf and warned of legal action unless Google reversed the change. The Guardian reports: "All we want is for the decree issued by the US government to be complied with," Sheinbaum said. "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," she added. In response to Trump, Sheinbaum has cheekily suggested calling the United States "America Mexicana" -- Mexican America, pointing to a map dating back to before 1848, when one-third of her country was seized by the United States.

Mexico Sues Google Over Changing Gulf of Mexico's Name For US Users

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  • well there will be an tariff on any winnings in court!

  • Sigh (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Powercntrl ( 458442 ) on Friday May 09, 2025 @08:27PM (#65365425) Homepage

    I honestly wish quibbling over the name of a body of water was the worst thing this administration has done, but this morning it looks like one of the wholesalers I buy mini-split air conditioners and heat pumps from has closed their doors due to the tariffs.

    We are most definitely entering the "find out" phase of this administration, and it's going to be a lot more unpleasant than being a little miffed at Google Maps.

    • Re:Sigh (Score:4, Insightful)

      by MightyMartian ( 840721 ) on Friday May 09, 2025 @08:30PM (#65365429) Journal

      I used to think the end of America was going to be the worst thing that could happen. Now I'm just hoping my country (Canada) can get out of the way of what has to be the biggest own-goals in history. I mean, how is Trump even allowed out of a dementia ward, let alone in charge of the most powerful nation on Earth? Why did so many Americans think he was somehow better than someone who can actually string coherent sentences together?

      • Gosh, I wish that you're safe up there in the north. But it's like Agent Smith in the Matrix movie describing a virus

      • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

        by Narcocide ( 102829 )

        Why did so many Americans think he was somehow better than someone who can actually string coherent sentences together?

        The same reason "reality tv" is so popular; short attention spans.

      • I mean if you're a Carney, Liberal supporter in Canada, you're welcome? in a fucked up sort of way?

        Is Trump a colossal enough fuckup to fully turn around the rising global right wing movement?

        Tune in next week I guess

      • Re: (Score:2, Troll)

        by gillbates ( 106458 )

        The short answer is because, for all of his faults, DJ talked to poor people, and his opposition talked about them. As progressives waged a campaign of hatred against whites, Christians, and males, the same just decided to stop voting for them.

        I know a lot of Christians who (formerly) believed in progressive politics. But after seeing how 4 years of a progressive President left black households worse off than they were before, now they're not so sure.

        I know quite a few males who (formerly) believed i

      • Why did so many Americans think he was somehow better than someone who can actually string coherent sentences together?

        He had a penis.
        He wasn't black / Indian / whatever racial slur they were told to hate.
        He wasn't woke and everyone else was woke and you should fear woke.
        Also your life was bad. No it wasn't but we don't tell you that. Your life sucked and it will suck under the other person, and Trump will make it better.

        That is the kind of things idiots hear and it resonates with them. When that's the intellect you deal with they probably can't understand that Trump was saying nonsense. They only hear blah blah blah blah M

    • Re:Sigh (Score:5, Interesting)

      by quenda ( 644621 ) on Friday May 09, 2025 @08:37PM (#65365447)

      quibbling over the name of a body of water

      It is a deliberate strategy by the administration. Creating public debate, flooding it even, over divisive but ultimately trivial issues, distracting from the more serious ones. We should be talking about trade policy, and the blatant outrageous financial corruption from Trumps crypto coin. But we are so easily distracted by inflammatory comments over culture wars topics.

      • El Salvador, no trial life sentence foreign gulag?
        Libya ...??
        Cancelling refuge programs while adding ... Afrikanners?
        Gold Card, because the country is full but not that full
        The weird pronatalism shit that's coming
        Blaming plane crash on "DEI" hires
        Attacks on universities, government "viewpoint diversity" audits
        Attacks on law firms
        Doesn't uphold the constitution, forgot his oath
        Cancelling birthright citizenship
        Threatening our allies
        Threatening to annex our allies
        Signal ... but her emails
        J6 pardons
        Crypto pardo

    • by dskoll ( 99328 )

      Yeah, the "FO" phase is coming shortly now that no more container ships from China are arriving. Look for empty shelves, shortages and predatory pricing coming to your friendly USA store soon.

  • Double stupid (Score:4, Informative)

    by Baron_Yam ( 643147 ) on Friday May 09, 2025 @08:31PM (#65365433)

    While Trump demanding the name change was the act of a stupid petulant man-baby... the US can use whatever names they want on their maps.

    Laugh at Americans for this? Yes. Keep calling things whatever you were already calling them? Yeah, of course. Sue a company because you don't like the labels on another country's maps? Stupid.

    • by Cinder6 ( 894572 )

      Genuine question: is it any different from us calling Deutschland “Germany” on our maps? Different countries, or at least countries that speak different languages, often have wildly different names for other locations.

      • It's not as "Deutschland" because these are long-accepted translations with no particular meaning understood today. "America" isn't of accepted translation for "Mexico", and has a clear meaning implying ownership. Which is a serious matter in diplomatic circles. Imagine Google is purchased by a Canadian company and renames the Great Lakes "The Canadian Lakes" or the USA "Southern Canada".

        Even how foreign countries name themselves can be the subject of disputes. See how long it took for the the Former Yugosl

        • by Bert64 ( 520050 )

          Or how about the body of water between england and france...
          The english call it "the english channel", whereas the french simply call it "la manche" which translates to "the channel".
          Neither side seems to be bothered that the other has a different name for it.

          "america" is the name of the continent btw, of which mexico is a part. Calling the body of water which sits between the north and south american continents "the gulf of america" does make logical sense.

          • Calling the body of water which sits between the north and south american continents "the gulf of america" does make logical sense

            I would call that the Panama Canal. It's at least a lot closer to the border between continents.

          • The english call it "the english channel", whereas the french simply call it "la manche" which translates to "the channel".

            They are two different languages. The official name for it in France when speaking in English remains the English Channel. And on English maps published in France it is listed as the English Channel. And if you go to google.fr/maps using a French VPN and switch the language to English you will still see it called English Channel.

            Now if 'Murikan was a different language that would be comparable. We wouldn't be having that discussion if it was called Gulf of Al'ya'all's Freedom's and it only showed up if your

      • >Genuine question: is it any different from us calling Deutschland âoeGermanyâ on our maps?

        Renaming the Gulf on American maps was done to incite domestic racist/nationalist fervor. But, in terms of international relations, it's America's right to do so.

      • by ceoyoyo ( 59147 )

        The Germans and Italians have been playing name games for a couple thousand years. Some Italian dumbass showed up in Deutschland and declared it Germany, then some German mapmaker named the New World after one Italian explorer to make the point that another Italian explorer was a dumbass.

      • Yes because Germany is Germany's official English name for Deutschland. That isn't an arbitrary American decision, or even one related to the English language. If you want to see in action how the country itself defines its own official name in foreign languages then scroll over to the other side of the world and see if you can find Turkey. You can't. They wanted the official English name to be Türkiye and as such it is now called Türkiye on any official English language map.

        And this is kind of th

    • Maybe the only way here to fight stupid is with stupid.

        At the very least it's doing something, even if petty, to Google for caving to the silly demand.

      Now they might have to at least make a defense of it legally. Do they believe it should be changed? Do you just tell a court you're worried about a shakedown?

    • by Lips ( 26363 )
      Ban a journalist from parts of the WH because "you don't like the labels on another country's maps? Stupid.*
    • Sue a company because you don't like the labels on another country's maps? Stupid.

      While you're partially right in that the suit about what the USA calls it for Americans is stupid, the wider world is a good target. I don't live on your continent. No one other than America claims to call it the Golf of America. Why the hell does it say Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America) on my map? Not that it is something one can sue someone over.

      At least Bing maps still says calls it the correct name we address it as where I live.

      I just praised Bing. I feel personally violated for being put in a position w

  • Good. (Score:2, Insightful)

    This is good.

    EVERYONE should push back until Orange Julius Caesar stops (or at least reduces) these inane media stunts.

    As a Canadian, I can also confirm we're sick of this dumb shit too.

    'When you elect a clown for king, the palace becomes a circus.'

    • by jmccue ( 834797 )

      I fully agree, but I doubt Mexico would win :(

      But, since you are from Canada, I think Canada, Mexico and all other sane countries get together and tax Google say 99% of their full revenue (not profit) until they change the name back in the US. No way the Trump owned court system could stop the tax and it would hurt Goggle were it counts. In their pocket book.

      • Why wouldn't they? They can take them to court in Mexico and adhere to Mexican laws (no GOP crony to rig the outcome). If Google wants to do business in Mexico at all then they need adhere to Mexican laws. It is no different than any other foreign company doing business in America must adhere to our American laws.
    • Julius Caesar had coherent writing.

  • LOL (Score:2, Insightful)

    by RitchCraft ( 6454710 )

    What a stupid thing to get upset over.

    • Re:LOL (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Known Nutter ( 988758 ) on Friday May 09, 2025 @10:05PM (#65365595)
      Perhaps not as stupid as "renaming" it in the first place.

      Wanker.
      • So it was renamed in one country, so what? Mexico can continue to use whatever name they want. Getting all butt-hurt about it is just stupid.

        • Soooo... you are saying the rest of the world can just rename the USA ?
          Wankistan sounds good.
          You not going to get all butt hurt about it ?
        • So it was renamed in one country, so what?

          It was not. I am neither Mexican nor American, nor do I live on the American continent. And yet when use different mapping tools in the same English language and go over to Gulf of Mexico I get different results - even when using American services (bing.com gives it a different name than google.com)

          Stop being self centred and realise there are consequences beyond your borders.

  • by Anonymous Coward

    N/T

  • by LazLong ( 757 ) on Saturday May 10, 2025 @03:28AM (#65365975)

    Mexico can sue whomever they want for whatever reason. The suit is probably mostly for domestic consumption and performative, just like a lot of Trump's actions.

    Mexico actually has about 100 miles more coastline along the Gulf.

    Calling it the "Gulf of America" doesn't make it any more of a US body of water. We're all on the North American continent. It's really more about Trump being a tinpot authoritarian shithead, and easily manipulated by whomever it was that whispered this idea into his ear.

    Maybe we should expend less energy on dumb shit like this and concentrate on Trump's more important actions.

    • Yes Americans do need to spend less energy on that. But as a non American (and non Mexican) I applaud Mexico's efforts. While it may seem dumb to you, we now live in a world where you can pick up an English language map and see names called something different not just based on locale but also based on who the mapping provider is.

      Yeah its dumb to us, but explain to your 4 year old why they can't find Gulf of America on bing.com or Gulf of Mexico on google.com. ... Well actually probably not your 4 year old

  • I spent an extensive amount of time in Mexico, where I was regularly referred to as "cracker". Most of the time, it was intended in a derogatory way. I didn't take it as such. I just found it funny. "Yep, I'm a white guy", I'd say in Spanish. At no time did I disrespect what THEY wanted to call me there. I accepted it. Perhaps it's time those throwing a lawsuit like this around start learning what freedom of speech really means. It also means we're free to name anything whatever we want and it's YOUR choi
  • Trump's renaming infection has spread to Mexico.

    It's called the Gulf of Mexico or Gulf of America or Persian Gulf or Indian ocean or whatnot because that country is nearby. Calling it one way or the other does not grant any ownership over the body of water.

    What a timewaste.

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