this post was submitted on 14 Feb 2025
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Summary

Google Maps has blocked reviews for the Gulf of Mexico after backlash over renaming it "Gulf of America" for U.S. users, following a Trump executive order.

Critics accused Google of censorship after it removed negative reviews. Google defended the move, citing policies against off-topic content.

Mexico’s President Sheinbaum opposed the change and may take legal action. Apple Maps also adopted the new name.

The controversy adds to concerns over tech companies aligning with Trump, following Meta’s rollback of fact-checking and diversity initiatives.

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[–] breakfastmtn@lemmy.ca 141 points 1 year ago (9 children)

Just downloaded Organic Maps as a replacement. No ads/tracking plus it's open source and uses OSM. Seems pretty cool so far.

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 17 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Totally useless for me, unfortunately. I'm in a new town and a new country and the lack of information on it compared to either Google or Apple makes it something I have no reason to use.

I hope it gets better so I can switch. I really don't have a choice right now if I want to get around and just do basic things like find out what shops are open.

[–] elvith@feddit.org 48 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Register an OSM account and be the change you want to see in your local map!

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago (2 children)

How can I be the change I want to see when I don't have the information I need in the first place?

[–] elvith@feddit.org 32 points 1 year ago (27 children)

I don’t mean that you need to enter info there that you don’t have. But - you found a new shop? Cool. Enter it in OSM. Or checking it’s correctly in OSM. Or append their opening hours to the data set or…

For some easy edits, there’s e.g. the android(?) app StreetComplete which will show „quests“ on OSM in your area to complete datasets. Like „is this street lit?“ „what surface does this road have?“, „are there board walks?“, „what’s this house number here?“, „what’s name of this street?“ and so on.

You can do such things on an afternoon stroll in your area and it will help you learn your surroundings and discover things.

[–] TachyonTele@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago

I'm in the us and it doesn't even recognize street names on my city. Labeling buisnesses doesn't matter.

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[–] happydoors@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Magic Earth is a great companion for turn-based driving GPS. I just need these apps business search and discovery to be better. For example, it’s really easy to find coffee shops and compare quickly using google maps and it’s basically impossible on open source methods. Wider adoption should help but it feels years away for normal people with short patience to try.

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[–] RejZoR@lemmy.ml 80 points 1 year ago (32 children)

People need to stop using Google shit services. Like, seriously. There are so many other good services provided by other companies or even just people who make them for fun as a hobby.

[–] DampSquid@feddit.uk 38 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Google Maps has been hardest for me to replace. No one else seems to have the business directory aspect as good. Happy to hear suggestions!

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[–] wandermind@sopuli.xyz 69 points 1 year ago (1 children)

If anybody actually read the text of the executive order, they would immediately see that, unlike Trump & co. claim, it actually does not rename the Gulf of Mexico:

rename as the ‘‘Gulf of America’’ the U.S. Continental Shelf area bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the States of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida and extending to the seaward boundary with Mexico and Cuba in the area formerly named as the Gulf of Mexico

This "renames" as "Gulf of America" the part of Gulf of Mexico in US territorial waters. (Though how you can "rename" something which never had a specific name is unclear to me.) In other words, it is simply incorrect to label the entire gulf as Gulf of America even according to the text of the executive order. Instead, Gulf of America should be a sub-area in the northern part of the Gulf of Mexico.

[–] wheeldawg@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 year ago

But they know no one will read the fine print. They'll get the news coverage they want out of it.

[–] Menu@slrpnk.net 64 points 1 year ago

Google also blocks bad reviews about Tesla Gigafactory Berlin.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/qjrBvt1bxnBTmeoU6

[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 49 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Anyone else remembering the good old "do no evil" times from Google, where it actually was and enrichment for humanity?

And here we are today.

Fuck large companies, open source software is the only way forward

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[–] bitjunkie@lemmy.world 33 points 1 year ago

Ah yes censoring your detractors, the go-to move of someone who is confident that they're in the right

[–] kewjo@lemmy.world 31 points 1 year ago

I guess it's time to give Google campuses 1 Star reviews?

[–] TheKMAP@lemmynsfw.com 27 points 1 year ago (1 children)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/02/14/google-maps-political-borders/

This is not new. Google will show citizens of a country whatever that country's leadership wants them to see. Usually it's related to disputed territory from wars, but has also included whiny bullshit like this.

[–] ninjabard@lemmy.world 25 points 1 year ago

I gave it a 5 star rating and left this as my review.

"Regardless of what a Racist, Fascist, Fear-mongering, Election rigging POS would have you believe; it's the Gulf of Mexico."

[–] lemmydividebyzero@reddthat.com 16 points 1 year ago (3 children)

One could still report other stuff around it and mention the gulf...

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago

I suggested changing the name of Mar a Lago to Turd-o-Lardo

[–] Arghblarg@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 year ago

Yes, I was thinking of reviewing cities all around the Gulf next to annoy them ;)

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[–] SpicyLizards@reddthat.com 14 points 1 year ago

You can still post photos with comments, fyi

[–] RabbitBBQ@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago

Can they make Google list Canada as a state along with Greenland, then we won't have to invade???

[–] cows_are_underrated@feddit.org 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Always remember: Fascism is a feature of capitalism. In desperate times capitalism pushes facism.

Also capitalists are always gone be happy to work with fascists, because it gives them more power and money.

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[–] Paddzr@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Oh I didn't know Apple is also a fuckboi.

Surprisingly it didn't make the news like when Google did it, how come? Especially with how big apple is in USA.

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[–] lennybird@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

More evidence that Corporations are psychopaths in pathological pursuit of profit, just as Joel Bakan wrote.

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[–] samus12345@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago

This is pretty much the best case scenario I was expecting. Glad I had a hand in pestering them.

[–] PhoreTwunny@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

When do we start burning data centers to the ground?

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