The digital world map as you knew it, has just been changed. Apple has renamed Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America on its popular Maps app within days of Google Maps. This follows an executive order signed by U.S. President Donald Trump on his first day in office. Apple said it is making the update on Tuesday for U.S. customers and would soon roll out the change for all users worldwide.
US Government Officially Renames Gulf of Mexico
The move by Apple and Google follows the U.S. government’s update, which incorporated the new name into its official map. Late Sunday, the name was formally changed by the U.S. Geographic Names Information System in effect forcing both the tech majors to follow suit.
MapQuest and Microsoft’s Bing Maps are yet to rename the gulf.
Apple Slammed For Not Quickly Toeing Trump Line
While Republican senators commended Google for following Trump’s directive, Apple had drawn criticism for not complying right away. Apple is “still lost at sea,” U.S. Representative Greg Steube had written in a post on Facebook.
However, maps users had slammed tech giants such as Google for succumbing to U.S. government’s decision in the name of “honouring American greatness.” The move by Google had drawn criticism from various quarters, including indigenous communities, and sparked a diplomatic rift with Mexico. Notably, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum had urged Google to not rename the Gulf of Mexico.
Critics have noted that tech companies such as Apple and Google are quickly following the orders of the Trump administration. Tech leaders like Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai and Apple CEO Tim Cook have already accompanied Trump to several events since his election in November, including the inauguration. Billionaire Elon Musk already has embedded himself deeply in the Trump administration.
The Donald Trump move indicates what is possible if other countries too adopt a similar stance and order the renaming of other geographical locations across the world.
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