Mexico sues Google for labelling Gulf of Mexico as ’Gulf of America’

Mexico’s Foreign Relations ministry had beforehand despatched letters to Google asking it to not label Mexican territorial waters as the Gulf of America [File]
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

Mexico has sued tech big Google over its labelling of the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, a change made by U.S. President Donald Trump by way of govt order, Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum mentioned Friday.

Sheinbaum didn’t present particulars of the lawsuit throughout her every day press briefing, however mentioned that Google had been sued.

Mexico’s Foreign Relations ministry had beforehand despatched letters to Google asking it to not label Mexican territorial waters as the Gulf of America.

Google didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

The physique of water has shared borders between the United States and Mexico. Trump’s order solely carries authority inside the U.S. Mexico, as nicely as different nations and worldwide our bodies, do not need to recognise the title change.

Mexico argues that Gulf of America ought to solely apply to the half of the gulf over the United States continental shelf.

In February, Sheinbaum shared a letter from Cris Turner, Google’s vice chairman of authorities affairs and public coverage, stating that Google is not going to change the coverage it outlined after Trump declared the physique of water the Gulf of America.

As it stands, the gulf seems in Google Maps as Gulf of America inside the United States, as Gulf of Mexico inside Mexico and Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America) elsewhere. Turner in his letter mentioned the corporate was utilizing Gulf of America to comply with “longstanding maps policies impartially and consistently across all regions.”

The Gulf of Mexico has carried that title for greater than 400 years. The Associated Press refers to it by its unique title whereas acknowledging the brand new title Trump has chosen. The White House moved in February to dam the AP from being among the many small group of journalists to cowl Trump within the Oval Office or aboard Air Force One, with sporadic potential to cowl him at occasions within the East Room.

The AP sued three Trump administration officers over entry to presidential occasions, citing freedom of speech in asking a federal choose to cease the blocking of its journalists.

A federal choose ordered the White House final month to revive the AP’s full entry to cowl presidential occasions, affirming on First Amendment grounds that the federal government can not punish the information organisation for the content material of its speech. The choose’s determination granted emergency reduction whereas the lawsuit proceeds.