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.

  • breakfastmtn
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    121
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    1 day ago

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

    • LandedGentry@lemmy.zip
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      17
      ·
      edit-2
      1 day ago

      I like organic maps but if you are not in a pretty densely populated area that people update regularly, you’re straight up just not going to have some things on it for years. Even in major cities you need to get used to knowing the exact address to input, as well as understand that it is not giving you an optimal route that takes into account things like traffic or road construction or other variables. It basically just gives you what it thinks is the shortest distance from point A to point B, which is more often than not not the best route.

      I like it, I use it for probably 30-40% of my navigation. But you have been warned. It’s akin to pre-loaded car navigation from 15 years ago.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      20
      arrow-down
      5
      ·
      1 day ago

      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.

        • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          21
          arrow-down
          12
          ·
          1 day ago

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

          • Elvith Ma'for@feddit.org
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            32
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            1 day ago

            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
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              5
              arrow-down
              1
              ·
              1 day ago

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

              • Lupus@feddit.org
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                37
                ·
                1 day ago

                I am far to busy to take afternoon strolls.

                Bro, you have 3600 posts and almost 30.000 comments in 1.5 years on this platform, I see you in almost any instance and in countless communities.

                Please, take an afternoon stroll.

                • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  2
                  arrow-down
                  7
                  ·
                  edit-2
                  1 day ago

                  And it takes me seconds to make them in between searching for the jobs I’ve only been searching for in the last three weeks.

                  But sure, count the entire 1.5 years.

                  Amazing how people just assume because you can take 30 seconds of time every so often to look at Lemmy, you have all the time in the world. What the fuck else am I supposed to do when I’m taking breaks, stick my finger in my ass?

                  • Lupus@feddit.org
                    link
                    fedilink
                    arrow-up
                    8
                    ·
                    edit-2
                    22 hours ago

                    You don’t have to explain yourself, I was just poking fun at the discrepancy of “no time for a stroll” and a rather prolific online activity, because a stroll in my definition is also not super time consuming.

                    Sorry if I was overstepping or being insulting there, that wasn’t my intention. Just wanted to make some fun of it. I usually appreciate a lot of your input and posts.

      • VieuxQueb
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        22 hours ago

        Yeah I tried to get past bad naming but it’s just very annoying to have all the places in your town named as if they are in the next town over the river in a different province !

    • Psythik@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      20 hours ago

      No. Don’t give up the fight this easily. Google will eventually allow reviews again once this whole thing calms down. And that’s when we strike again.

      • partypuzzle@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        9
        ·
        19 hours ago

        If you really want to stick it to Google, the best way to do so as an individual is by dropping their products. Better to support products/companies you can trust than to try to bully a soulless corporation into acting like it gives a shit again.

      • leftytighty@slrpnk.net
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        19 hours ago

        Guys this isn’t activism, this isn’t protest, this isn’t going to stop fascism. Go outside.