Claudia Sheinbaum Says Mexican Government May Sue Google Over 'Gulf Of Mexico' Name Change

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Thursday that her government may file a civil lawsuit against Alphabet Inc.'s GOOG GOOGL Google for labeling the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” on its maps, following a controversial decree by U.S. President Donald Trump.

What Happened: Sheinbaum, speaking at her morning press conference, criticized Google's decision to adopt the new name, saying it disregards Mexico's sovereignty over much of the Gulf, reported the Associated Press.

“We have sovereignty over our continental shelf,” she stated. Mexico has not yet specified where it would file a lawsuit.

Google Maps last month defended its stance, stating it follows official government sources for name changes.

Trump's decree only applies to U.S. territorial waters, but Google has reportedly extended the label beyond American jurisdiction.

In multiple countries worldwide, including India, the body of water is labeled as the “Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America).”

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Why It Matters: Earlier this week, Apple Inc. AAPL also followed Trump’s executive order by renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America on its Maps app.

However, Bing Maps from Microsoft Corp. MSFT and MapQuest Inc. have not yet made the change.

Price Action: As of this writing, Alphabet's Class A shares increased by 0.11% in after-hours trading to $186.34, while Class C shares rose 0.16% to $188.19. During Thursday's regular session, Class A shares closed 1.38% higher at $186.14, and Class C shares climbed 1.32% to $187.88, based on Benzinga Pro data.

Photo Courtesy: Shutterstock.com

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