On Monday, Google’s maps division designated the United States as a ‘sensitive country’, a classification for states with strict governments and border disputes.
The reclassification followed President Donald Trump’s announcement regarding his plan to change the name of the ‘Gulf of Mexico’ into the ‘Gulf of America’ on official maps and federal communications. This also involved the renaming of ‘Mount Denali’ to ‘Mount McKinley.’
Google’s order came as the company announced that it would change the name of the body of water between the Yucatan and Florida peninsulas to the ‘Gulf of America’ in Google Maps after the White House made an update to its official government sources.
Elevating the U.S. to the status of a sensitive country underscores the complex landscape tech companies must navigate during the early phase of a second Trump presidency.
Since the year began, companies like Meta, TikTok, and Amazon have been modifying their products and policies to align with President Trump’s political positions, policies, and executive orders.
During his first term, Trump maintained a tumultuous relationship with Silicon Valley and frequently criticized the sector throughout his 2024 campaign.
Recently, however, tech leaders, including Google CEO Sundar Pichai, have sought to foster closer relationships with Trump, with several executives visibly supporting him at his inauguration.
The list of sensitive countries includes China, Russia, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq, with the U.S. and Mexico becoming new additions. These countries will have some of their names, labels, and other information on Google Maps different from other countries.
According to internal correspondence, Google has given the reclassification a rare ‘P0’ order, the highest priority level where employees were notified and instructed to work on the changes immediately, regardless of what they were doing.
The name change could work similarly to the Persian Gulf, where, in Arab countries, the area is displayed as Arabian Gulf on Google Maps.
Meanwhile, according to Google, the name Gulf of Mexico will continue to appear for users located in Mexico. For users in other countries, both names will be displayed.
