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.

  • RejZoR
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    772 days ago

    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.

    • @[email protected]
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      362 days ago

      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!

        • @[email protected]
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          13 hours ago

          Ah yes, I remember the promise of Yelp but its implementation on iOS has been the actual worst user experience for years. It is nothing but frustrating that it almost seems purposeful

        • @QuarterSwede
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          27 hours ago

          Hard disagree. Yelp is terrible in the US.

    • @Hawke
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      12 days ago

      Find me a replacement for Google Docs and I’m in.

      • Arghblarg
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        322 days ago

        LibreOffice has just announced a wasm port of their suite, to run on and offline…

          • Arghblarg
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            21 hour ago

            wasm is short for ‘web assembly’, a binary format for programs to run in web browsers (like a lower-level, faster javascript). I think the goal is to have LibreOffice run in a browser with all the same capabilities as native desktop LibreOffice.

        • @Hawke
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          22 days ago

          I just tried that actually.

          Not at all impressed with its integrated OnlyOffice. I want an alternative to MS office not a clone.

        • @Karjalan
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          242 days ago

          Is that the same Proton who’s ceo recently decided he wanted to throw his hat in the trump dick sucking ring… Despite not even being in the US?

    • @ilmagico
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      -132 days ago

      I’m all for dropping Google if you can, but this is not Google’s fault, it’s Trump’s. Google is simply abiding by its policies of showing names chosen by a given country. If you’re in Mexico, my understanding is that it still shows Gulf of Mexico.

      Ah, and as far as dropping Google maps… seriously, I can’t find a valid alternative with real time traffic data as good as Google, free or paid, what do you suggest?

      • @[email protected]
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        137 minutes ago

        I’ve been using Here we go for years. I think it started as a Nokia project, that spun off to it’s own thing. I started using to conserve data. You download the map of your region when you have Wi-Fi, and it’s pretty low data load from there, directions and traffic updates mostly. I’ve been happy with it for a long time. I haven’t opened g-maps in ages. I know there are other options out there, open source and what not, but I never felt the need to try anything else out.

      • @[email protected]
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        2 hours ago

        Sure, all these giant corporations have no choice but to tongue Trump’s butthole.

        EDIT:

        Google is simply abiding by its policies of showing names chosen by a given country.

        But this is specifically not the country (as in Congress or the majority of people) choosing it. This was an Executive Order because Trump hates Brown people. It’s also not legal.

      • @CastorSulMush
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        16 hours ago

        In Canada it’s now showing: Gulf of Mexico ( Gulf of America). Might be just a matter of time before they completely switch it over to Gulf of America.

      • knightly the Sneptaur
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        532 days ago

        I blame google. If it takes an act of congress to rename a post office then renaming the gulf should too.

      • @[email protected]
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        31 day ago

        Bull turkey.

        1st Amendment: Trump can’t order Google what to call any particular location. He can ask, Google can follow along (or not), and we can tell Google to get bent (or not).

      • @[email protected]
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        111 day ago

        I’m in Canada and it shows me the bullshit name. The way Google correctly handles highly temporary vanity bullshit is to limit the name change to just that country’s users.

      • no banana
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        82 days ago

        It shows me Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America).

        • @ilmagico
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          -12 days ago

          The article says that for the rest of the world it still shows “Gulf of Mexico” … I’m in the USA so I can’t check. Are you saying that you are not in the USA and it shows both names?

          • @[email protected]
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            1 day ago

            Yes, it shows both, which is what makes it so ridiculous. The white nationalist government of one country on the entire planet refers to it by that name, the country that Google is based in, and everyone else in the world is forced to see it? You can’t convince me that’s not politically motivated.

            • @ilmagico
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              5 hours ago

              Yeah, that is ridiculous. I don’t really have a lot of respect for Google already, but this erodes what bit of respect I had left for them.

          • @DOPdan
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            102 days ago

            Yes, here in Canada it shows both, with Gulf of America in brackets.

      • @[email protected]
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        11 day ago

        I find Waze has better real-time traffic info. Driving time estimates may vary a bit more, but I find it to be a more than adequate replacement for most tasks.

        You do have to gut check some of its suggestions, though: it seems to think some roads are slower, even when they’re not as busy, and will route around them.

        • @nelly_man
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          131 day ago

          Waze has been owned by Google since 2013.

        • @TheEntity
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          91 day ago

          Isn’t Waze owned by Google too?

        • @ilmagico
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          223 hours ago

          Thanks for the suggestion, but yeah, Waze is Google. Also, unless it improved a lot lately, I really didn’t like it, personally.

          On Android, Organic Maps or OsmAnd are pretty good if traffic data is not needed, Magic Earth has “traffic” but it’s not accurate and pales compared to gmaps. What else is there? sygic? tom tom? I tried them all a few years ago, they all had some big deal breaker. Maybe I should look at them again.