The map continues to shift and morph. Following Google’s February 10 decision to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America" on Google Maps and Google Earth (for U.S.-based viewers), Apple Maps made the same decision a day later on February 11. As of this writing, Apple’s online newsroom doesn’t address the name change, but looking at the gulf through Apple Maps clearly shows that the name has been changed to the Gulf of America.
Why did Apple Maps change the name to Gulf of Mexico?
Apple Maps changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico because of President Trump’s Executive Order 14172, titled "Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness," which he signed on his inauguration day. This executive order also changed Denali in Alaska to revert to its old name, Mount McKinley.
Will Apple Maps, like Google Maps, show a different name based on where you live?
Google Maps has a specific strategy for showing the name of the gulf, but it is unknown whether Apple Maps has adopted a similar strategy. When American users (based on their device’s location) pull up the body of water on Google Maps, they will see it labeled the Gulf of America. When Mexican users look at the same map, they will see it called the Gulf of Mexico. And the rest of the world will see it labeled as “Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America).” We don’t yet know whether Apple Maps will follow the same strategy or if it has labeled the body of the water the “Gulf of America” regardless of where the map viewer lives.
Has there been any pushback on this name change?
Yes, the nonpartisan Associated Press declined to use President Trump’s new name while saying it would acknowledge Trump’s decision to rename the gulf. An AP reporter was therefore denied entry to the executive order’s signing in the Oval Office. Later the same day, another AP reporter was denied entry to an event in the White House’s Diplomatic Reception Room. This is an alarming ban that sets a very uneasy precedent and, according to Julie Pace, AP’s senior vice president and executive editor, “plainly violates the First Amendment.”
Have there been other reactions?
PEN America and the White House Correspondents Association have also expressed concern over the ban of AP reporters. “The White House cannot dictate how news organizations report the news, nor should it penalize working journalists because it is unhappy with their editors’ decision,” said Eugene Daniels, president of the White House Correspondents Association, as reported by AP.
Has any other mapping service made the name change?
Yes, Microsoft’s Bing Maps has made the name change.