Google Maps is doing this to your reviews. Should you be concerned?
Following the controversy surrounding the renaming of the "Gulf of Mexico" to "Gulf of America" by President Trump — a change that both Apple and Google have implemented in their respective Maps applications — a deluge of negative reviews and issue reports were submitted to both. However, it didn't take long for users to notice that they could either no longer submit these error reports and that some that were already submitted had disappeared.
In the case of Google Maps, many of the users that disagreed with the renaming, took to Google Maps to express their opinions. Some attempted to report the change as an error, while others left reviews referencing the former name. This surge of activity triggered Google's content moderation systems, designed to protect places from what they term “policy-violating content.” Google has rules in place to prevent content that is off-topic or unrelated to someone’s direct experience with a place. In this instance, the influx of reviews and reports, while expressing genuine sentiment, likely fell outside these guidelines.
Google's response involved not only removing some reviews, but also temporarily disabling the ability to suggest edits or report inaccuracies for the Gulf of America. This kind of action isn't unusual for Google. They have a process for dealing with situations where they anticipate a large volume of contributions that are unrelated to the actual location. This can involve everything from removing content to temporarily disabling contributions. The company has stated that these protections can be temporary or longer-term, depending on the nature and extent of the issue.
We’ve received a few questions about naming within Google Maps. We have a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources.
— News from Google (@NewsFromGoogle) January 27, 2025
It's important to note that Google isn't alone in adopting this change. Other map providers, like Apple Maps and Bing, have also updated their maps to reflect the Gulf of America designation. This suggests that the change is based on the official GNIS data and not just a decision made by Google. While the renaming might seem sudden or politically motivated to some, it appears to be a consequence of adhering to official naming standards and the subsequent efforts to manage the user feedback that followed.
This is a complex situation that highlights the interplay between official data, user feedback, and the policies that govern online platforms. It raises questions about how map providers balance accuracy with public opinion, and how they manage content when dealing with contentious issues. Meanwhile, the aforementioned body of water is still denoted as "Gulf of Mexico" to users outside the United States, adding more to this confusion and continuing debate.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: