Google doesn't want your opinions on the Gulf of America

Summary

Google is blocking new reviews on Google Maps of the Gulf of America after the US renamed it from the Gulf of Mexico.
Google Maps shows the Gulf of America in the US and the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America) in other regions, depending on user location.
The renaming was initiated by President Trump, sparking both praise and criticism worldwide.

There’s a good chance you’ve heard about President Trump’s decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. It has ignited headlines worldwide, and on Wednesday, Google officially changed the location’s name on Google Maps to the Gulf of America in the US.

The decision to change the name is seen as controversial by some, and in response to the criticism regarding this change, the tech giant has blocked reviews of the Gulf of America on its popular maps app (via BBC). When users click to view reviews of the Gulf, a note now appears stating that “posting is currently turned off” for reviews. This follows recent reports that Google was deleting reviews critical of the Gulf.

When you click on the note, the following message appears: “Some types of places are more likely to receive posts, like reviews, that violate Google’s policies. To prevent this, Google has turned off posting.” The Gulf of America (Gulf of Mexico) currently has four and a half stars on Google Maps based on 6,692 reviews, so it seems Google is trying to prevent it from getting “review-bombed,” a form of online protest usually associated with shows or games.

Google said in a
blog post
that it decided to rename the Gulf since the Geographic Names Information System (
GNIS
) has been officially updated to reflect the name change. The tech giant says it’s just following its “longstanding practices.”

Google Maps

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What you see depends on where you are

Google Maps and Apple Maps have both updated the name

Google

Google Maps and Apple Maps have both changed the name to the Gulf of America, but what you see depends on where you are. Apple Maps has updated it to the Gulf of America if you’re in the US. But if you’re outside the US, it’s still the Gulf of Mexico. However, a global rollout of the name change is supposedly coming soon (via Bloomberg).

If you’re using Google Maps, things vary slightly depending on your location. In the US, you’ll only see the Gulf of America. In Mexico, you’ll see the Gulf of Mexico. If you’re in other parts of the world, like Canada or Europe, it will be listed as the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America).

President Trump initiated the name change by signing the Executive Order, “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness,” on his first day in office. This order required the Secretary of the Interior to take action to rename the Gulf. Some have praised this decision, while others have heavily criticized it.

The change has sparked quite a debate worldwide and, of course, led to the creation of some rather humorous memes. Our favorite at Pocket-lint jokes about it being renamed in honor of Home Depot and Totino’s Pizza Rolls.