President Claudia Sheinbaum says lawsuit has been filed after US lawmakers voted on name change

President Claudia Sheinbaum says lawsuit has been filed after US lawmakers voted on name change

Mexico has sued Google for changing the Gulf of Mexico’s name to “Gulf of America” for Google Maps users in the United States, Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s president, said on Friday.

“The lawsuit has already been filed,” Sheinbaum said at her morning news conference, without saying where and when it was submitted.

On Thursday, Republicans in the House of Representatives approved legislation to codify Donald Trump’s policy of renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America”.

  • Siegfried@lemmy.worldEnglish
    105·
    2 days ago

    This is so stupid. I understand the feeling, but having “china” in it’s name does not give china a right over the china sea. It is just a name. The same goes for the gulf of Mexico.

    • Xanza@lemm.eeEnglish
      2·
      5 hours ago

      Hate to point it out, but it’s an entirely different scenario.

      43 USC §364.e: With respect to geographic names the pertinent decisions and principles issued by the Secretary shall be standard for all material published by the Federal Government. The United States Board on Geographical Names in the Department of the Interior created by Executive order, is abolished, and the duties of said Board are transferred to the Board herein created, and all departments, bureaus, and agencies of the Federal Government shall refer all geographic names and problems to the said Board for the purpose of eliminating duplication of work, personnel, and authority.

      We didn’t rename the Gulf, but the way its referenced from within the federal government (and its agencies) was changed by EO. Since Google is a government contractor, they’re contractually obligated (and legally obligated) to follow the nomenclature expressed by the US board on geographical names or they risk losing all of their government contracts.

      So did we change the name of the Gulf? No. Is it shown different to US residence now? Yes. Google additionally released a statement saying;

      “a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources.”

    • futatorius@lemm.eeEnglish
      1·
      12 hours ago

      If you want to see how insane people can be driven by nationalism, look at how bent out of shape the Greeks got over a country in the former Yugoslavia daring to call itself Macedonia. People think names have magic powers, even some nitwits here in Baja Scotland.