Google Maps said that it will rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America on its maps app, saying that the change will take place when it has been updated in official government sources.
Google also will change the name of Denali, the tallest mountain in North America, back to Mount McKinley.
In his first day in office, Donald Trump signed an executive order mandating the name change.
Google said that when the Geographic Names Information System is updated, “we will update Google Maps in the U.S. quickly to show Mount McKinley and Gulf of America.”
“Also longstanding practice: When official names vary between countries, Maps users see their official local name. Everyone in the rest of the world sees both names. That applies here too.”
The Associated Press announced last week that it will maintain the name Gulf of Mexico in its Stylebook, noting that “Trump’s order only carries authority within the United States. Mexico, as well as other countries and international bodies, do not have to recognize the name change.” The AP will switch to referring to Denali as Mount McKinley.
Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai was among the tech titans who attended Trump’s inauguration. Google lost a major antitrust battle over search, and the Biden administration Justice Department had called for the search giant to shed its Chrome browser, among other remedies. A federal judge has yet to rule.
