Following the decisions of the new American administration, Google and Apple changed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America on their cards. But Google goes further by also removing very symbolic commemorations.
The American digital landscape undergoes a transformation under the influence of Donald Trump, with Google and Apple at the heart of the debates. For the past few days, American users of Google Maps have not found the “Gulf of Mexico”, but the “Gulf of America” on their cards. This modification, ordered by a presidential decree, symbolizes a desire of the Trump administration to strengthen national identity and to put pressure on Mexico, accused of contributing to illegal immigration and the violence of the gangs.
And Google is not the only one to make this change. After initially resisted, Apple had to comply with the presidential order by also changing the name of the Gulf in its plans application. Souvenir of the head that Tim Cook was doing during the Trump inauguration ceremony on January 20 … -, the Cupertino firm had to resolve to apply the official directive of the Federal Aviation Administration which put a little time to be published after Trump’s decision.
This change is part of a broader context of revision of geographic landmarks. He was indeed accompanied by other symbolic adjustments, such as the renagee of Mont Denali en Mont McKinley, in tribute to the former American president. These decisions show how technological actors align themselves with government demands, while sailing in a sensitive geopolitical landscape.
Mexico denounced this initiative as a unilateral and provocative decision. In response, the Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum quipped the situation by suggesting to rename the United States “Mexican America”, thus stressing the absurdity of this change imposed by a foreign power. Technological companies, such as Google and Apple, must now adjust their services to appease these diplomatic tensions while maintaining their global credibility.
Google, however, has to seek to spare the goat and the cabbage by opting for a “localized” display: if American users now see the “Gulf of America”, the Mexicans are always entitled to “Golfo de México” on Google Maps while Other countries see the two appellations with a parenthesis. A way of getting angry with anyone.
Google removes symbolic commemorations
These changes are not limited to cartography. Google also removed significant commemorations from its calendar, such as the month of LGBTQ+ pride in June and the history of blacks in February. These events, historically celebrated, no longer appear in the services of Google, a decision which caused the indignation of many users. According to Google, this decision, made from mid-2024, aimed to simplify the display by focusing on internationally recognized holidays. But, for many, it is difficult not to see a link with the policies of the Trump administration, which firmly opposes the policies of diversity and inclusiveness.
This withdrawal from celebrations of cultural minorities and LGBTQ+ communities is part of a trend where large technological companies are under pressure to adjust their services according to government directives. The question of the objectivity and neutrality of the data presented by giants like Google then arises. Companies, by reacting to political guidelines, redefine the way in which they display information, which can influence user perceptions and even collective memories.
These developments show how deeply nested technology and politics are today, especially in the country of Uncle Sam and Silicon Valley. By modifying geographic names and by erasing cultural events of the calendar, the Trump administration and large technological companies redraw not only cards, but also historical and identity benchmarks. In a world where digital information plays an increasingly central role, each technical change reveals ideological issues that reflect power relations within society.