Google has made a series of notable updates to its products, sparking debate over whether the changes reflect a shift in policy under Donald Trump’s second term as U.S. president.
The tech giant, which donated $1 million to Trump’s 2025 inauguration, has already scaled back its diversity hiring initiatives in response to the administration’s crackdown on DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) policies. Additionally, in early February, Google dropped its pledge not to develop AI for weapons or surveillance, a move seen by analysts as paving the way for closer cooperation with the federal government.
Now, updates to Google Maps, Calendar, and Search have raised further questions about the company’s alignment with the new administration.
Google Maps Renames Gulf of Mexico for U.S. Users
One of Trump’s first executive orders directed the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America for official U.S. government usage. Google quickly announced on January 27 that it would update its maps as soon as the federal Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) made the change official.
On Monday, February 10, after similar adjustments by the Storm Prediction Center and Federal Aviation Administration, Google updated Google Maps accordingly. Now, U.S.-based users see “Gulf of America”, while Mexican users continue to see “Gulf of Mexico.” Users outside these regions see “Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America).”
Google Calendar Removes Cultural Holidays
Users have also noticed several cultural observances missing from Google Calendar, including Pride Month (June), Black History Month (February), Indigenous Peoples’ Month (November), and Hispanic Heritage Month (September–October).
A Google spokesperson confirmed to The Verge that the company had removed certain holidays and observances but attributed the decision to a shift in policy that began in 2024.
“Maintaining hundreds of moments manually and consistently globally wasn’t scalable or sustainable,” the spokesperson said, adding that Google Calendar now defers to public holidays and national observances listed on timeanddate.com.
However, some users remain skeptical, with one posting in a Google Support forum, “Dear Google. Stop sucking up to Trump.” Others accused the company of bowing to political pressure, calling the explanation a “cover-up.”
Google Search Restricts Autocomplete for Political Queries
Another change was spotted in Google Search, where users noticed that typing “impeach Trump” no longer triggers an autocomplete suggestion. According to a report by Snopes, a Google spokesperson confirmed that the company removed the suggestion in compliance with its policy prohibiting autocomplete predictions that could imply a stance for or against a political figure.
“In this case, some predictions were appearing that shouldn’t have been, and we’re taking action to block them,” the spokesperson explained.
Google said similar actions were taken for terms like “impeach Biden” and “impeach Clinton.” The company emphasized that this does not affect actual search results, only the autocomplete predictions.
A Shift in Google’s Approach?
While Google maintains that these updates align with its broader policies and practices, critics argue they signal a closer alignment with Trump’s administration. Given the company’s previous clashes with the former president during his first term, some see these moves as an attempt to avoid regulatory scrutiny or win favor with the White House.
With growing concerns over big tech’s role in shaping information, Google’s recent actions are likely to face continued scrutiny as the Trump administration sets its agenda for the next four years.
