Overview
- The state’s five Democratic members of Congress sent letters to Apple and Google on Thursday asking the companies to publicly commit by Sept. 18 to keep the label 'New Mexico' on their map services.
- Lawmakers warned that federal updates to the Geographic Names Information System, which many map platforms ingest, could lead to user-facing name changes even though a president cannot legally rename a state.
- Previous actions by the administration that altered federal naming records for bodies of water led to patchwork platform responses, with Google updating maps quickly and Apple waiting for GNIS changes before switching labels.
- The delegation cited the companies' extensive business ties to the federal government as a reason they might comply with White House pressure and called on Apple and Google to make a firm, public promise.
- If platforms follow GNIS updates, users and residents could see inconsistent map labels that create confusion for everyday navigation and for intergovernmental and international references, so lawmakers say tech commitments would protect local identity.