Google reclassifies US as ‘sensitive country’ following Trump’s map changes

Google’s maps division has reclassified the United States as a “sensitive country,” a designation it typically applies to nations with strict governments or border disputes, CNBC reported on Monday.

The change follows an executive order by President Donald Trump directing updates to official maps and federal communications, including renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” and reverting Mount Denali’s name to Mount McKinley.

According to internal correspondence viewed by CNBC, Google’s decision to no longer categorize the US as a “non-sensitive” country was communicated internally on Monday.

The company also announced that Google Maps would reflect the name change for the Gulf of Mexico after the administration’s updates take effect in official government sources.

Big Tech in Trump 2.0

Since the beginning of the year, several major tech firms, including Meta, TikTok, and Amazon, have adjusted their platforms in response to administration policies and executive orders.

Trump has had a contentious relationship with Silicon Valley, frequently criticising the sector during his first term and 2024 campaign.

For instance, in September, Trump had threatened legal action against Google, alleging it promoted negative coverage of his campaign.

Now, he acknowledges the change in dynamic, stating, “The first time everybody was fighting me… This time everyone wants to be my friend.”

The change comes as tech executives, including Google CEO Sundar Pichai, have sought to strengthen ties with the administration, with several attending Trump’s inauguration.

Several of the Big Tech names such as Microsoft, Meta, Apple and Google also donated to Trump's inauguration fund.

Google's list of “sensitive countries”

Google’s list of “sensitive countries” includes China, Russia, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq, among others.

The classification is also applied to countries with “unique geometry or unique labelling,” according to internal communications reviewed by CNBC.

The US and Mexico are the latest additions to this list.

A Google spokesperson described the designation as a technical configuration indicating that certain map labels in the country differ from those in other regions, as per the report.

It remains unclear whether the reclassification applies beyond Google’s Geo division.

A rare high-priority “P0” order was issued for the updates, instructing Google Maps employees to implement the changes immediately, internal documents indicate.

The directive instructed teams to handle the Gulf of America label similarly to how the Persian Gulf appears as the Arabian Gulf in certain countries.

In a post on X, Google stated, “We have a longstanding practice of applying name changes when they have been updated in official government sources.”

The company added that the Gulf of Mexico name would remain visible to users in Mexico, while users in other countries would see both names.

Google has previously updated Maps to reflect government-sanctioned name changes, including the Obama administration’s 2015 decision to rename Mount McKinley as Denali.