Google Maps Renames Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America; Controversial Decision
Google Maps recently made an update changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America for users in the United States. The move quickly sparked widespread criticism, with many users expressing their dissatisfaction.
Disabling New Reviews on Google Maps
According to reports, Google Maps has disabled the ability to leave new reviews for this location. Users attempting to leave comments are met with the message “Posting is currently turned off.”
Additionally, Google Maps has removed many negative reviews related to the name change, with only reviews from about a month ago still visible.
Google’s Justification for the Name Change
Google explained that the change aligns with its policy of local official name conventions, aimed at ensuring consistency with local standards.
As a result:
• U.S. users will only see the name Gulf of America.
• Users from other countries will see both the Gulf of Mexico and Gulf of America names.
User Reactions and Review Policy
This change led many users to leave their comments in Google Maps, but it seems Google has deactivated the review section to manage the criticism, as well as removed negative comments related to the renaming.
Google’s History of Content Removal:
Google has previously taken actions to remove content that violates its policies, such as during the 2020 U.S. elections, when Google Maps took measures to prevent the spread of irrelevant content around polling places.
Conclusion
The Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America renaming by Google Maps has sparked significant controversy, with many criticisms about the change. The removal of negative reviews and the disabling of new comments have added to the backlash. Google has defended the move, stating that it follows local naming policies, but so far, this justification hasn’t alleviated user concerns.
