Google Maps already caving to "Gulf Of America" nonsense

In what we might call a not very great job, Internet, Google announced it will respond accordingly to President Donald Trump’s day-one executive order to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. In a post on Twitter/X, the company stated it has “a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources.” As such, Google has pledged that when the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is updated, Google Maps will also be “quickly” updated in the United States to show the Gulf of America and Mount McKinley (which Trump also ordered to be renamed from its Native American moniker, Denali). 

Renaming the landmarks was one of Trump’s campaign promises; in the hours after his inauguration, he signed the executive orders stating the name changes would “honor American greatness.” Per CNN, the order stated, “It is in the national interest to promote the extraordinary heritage of our Nation and ensure future generations of American citizens celebrate the legacy of our American heroes.”

Google claims it is “also longstanding practice” to show local Google Maps users the official local name of particular landmarks. That means U.S. users will see “Gulf of America” while Mexican users will still see “Gulf of Mexico.” “Everyone in the rest of the world sees both names,” according to the social media post. 

This is a pretty good summary of how far Trump’s power reaches in this case. According to the Associated Press, the executive order can affect official federal documentation within the U.S. However, other countries are not under any obligation to go along with the name change. (Changing the name of a U.S. landmark, like Denali to Mount McKinley, is a simpler prospect.) To refer to the body of water as the “Gulf of America,” then, may be seen as a symbolic signifier of support for President Trump from his allies. Google, which is currently caught up in a federal monopoly case, donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund; the company’s CEO Sundar Pichai was among the tech bosses in attendance at the event.