Google Maps Confesses to Eliminating Critical Reviews Regarding the 'Gulf of America' Issue
Google has admitted, albeit implicitly, to removing negative reviews after rebranding the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America on Google Maps. The tech giant has also disabled the ability to suggest edits or report inaccuracies for this newly-named body of water.
A Google spokesperson explained the company's stance by referring to a 2023 blog post detailing their guidelines for "policy-violating content". The post states Google's commitment to maintaining accurate information and removing unhelpful content.
The decision to restrict contributions on the Gulf of America came as users raised concerns, leading to a wave of review-bombing the renamed location as a symbol of political dissent. Users also reported multiple deleted reviews and struggled to report the mislabeling of the location.
Google's Content Moderation on Google Maps Is Standard Practice
Google seems to be merely adhering to its existing content moderation rules on Google Maps. The company sources location names from authoritative bodies like UN, ISO, and FIPS. For U.S. locations, Google draws data from the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
The change from Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America originated from an update to the GNIS database, ordered by President Donald Trump. As the new standard, all mentions of the location as Gulf of Mexico now fall under Google's category of "fake content".
The influx of mislabeling reports and reviews prompted the app's "real-time abuse" protocol, leading to the removal of some reviews and the temporary disablement of new contributions.
Google mentions that these safeguards can be temporary or permanent, depending on the severity of the situation. However, the specific impact on the Gulf of America remains uncertain.
Gulf of America Becomes Default on Google Maps, Apple Maps, and Bing
Google Maps was not the only service to adopt the change. Apple Maps and Bing also followed suit, now displaying the Gulf of Mexico as Gulf of America. Despite the widespread adoption, you might want to rethink boycotting Google Maps as the alternatives show the same renaming.
Enrichment Insights
Overall:
- Reason for Name Change: The executive order signed by President Donald Trump in 2017 led to the name change of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. The order aimed to rename certain geographic features to reflect American greatness.
- The name change was reflected in the GNIS, a government database, updating its description for the Gulf.
Consequences of Name Change:
- User Reaction: The change sparked a significant backlash from users, particularly those outside the United States, leading to a surge of negative reviews on Google Maps.
- Content Moderation: Google's content moderation systems were triggered by the surge of negative reviews and reports, leading to the removal of some reviews and the temporary disablement of new contributions.
- International Impact: The renaming has been criticized by international leaders, including Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who suggested the possibility of a lawsuit against Google.
- Confusion and Logistical Issues: The renaming has created confusion, particularly for those who have spent their lives using the term "Gulf of Mexico".
Impact on User Reviews:
- Review Bombing: Users who disagreed with the renaming took to Google Maps to express their opinions, leading to a surge of negative reviews.
- Blocked Reviews: The negative reviews were blocked from public visibility, as they were deemed not based on a real experience. This was part of Google's efforts to protect places from policy-violating content.
The name change from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America on Google Maps was mandated by an executive order and reflected in official government sources. However, it has sparked controversy and backlash from users, leading to a surge in negative reviews and content moderation efforts by Google. The move also raises questions about the balance between adhering to official naming standards and managing user feedback on contentious issues.
- Despite the controversy surrounding the name change, Google Maps, as well as Apple Maps and Bing, have all adopted the new label for the Gulf of Mexico, now referred to as the Gulf of America.
- The procedure for removing negative reviews on Google Maps, following the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, is based on Google's guidelines for policy-violating content, which emphasizes the removal of unhelpful material.
- Users who disagreed with the name change and wanted to express their views on Google Maps found their reviews blocked due to their violation of Google's policy, which prohibits content that does not correspond to a real-life experience.
- Google's content moderation procedure on Google Maps, in response to the surge in negative reviews and mislabeling reports related to the Gulf of America, followed standard practice and drew on data from authoritative bodies such as the UN, ISO, FIPS, and the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).