Google Declares US 'Sensitive Country' Like China, Russia After Donald Trump's Map Changes
Date
1/28/2025 8:17:45 PM
(MENAFN- Live Mint) Google's maps division reportedly reclassified the US as a“sensitive country" – like Russia and China – on Monday. It's a designation it reserves for states/countries with strict governments and border disputes. Google's list of“sensitive” countries includes China, Russia, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
According to CNBC, Google's order to stop designating the US as a“non-sensitive” country came on Monday. This was when Google said that it will change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to“Gulf of America” in Google Maps after the trump administration updated its“official government sources.”
The company had also said it will start using the name“Mount McKinley” for the mountain in Alaska currently called Denali.
The new classification came after US President Donald Trump said his administration would change names of these areas on official maps and federal communications. Trump had earlier vowed to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the“Gulf of America” and Mount Denali as Mount McKinley.
He had signed executive actions regarding the same as soon as he officially took charge as the US' 47th President.
Google declares US 'sensitive country': What it means?
Google's list of sensitive countries includes China, Russia, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, among others. The US and Mexico are new additions to the list.
A company spokesperson told CNBC that the“sensitive” classification is a technical configuration that signifies some labels within a given country are different from other countries.
The label is also used for countries that have“unique geometry or unique labeling,” according to internal correspondence reviewed by CNBC.
As per CNBC, the decision to elevate the US to its list of sensitive countries illustrates the challenges that tech companies face as they try to navigate the early days of a second Trump presidency.
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