Google reclassifies U.S. as ‘sensitive country’ alongside China, Russia

“Google’s maps division on Monday reclassified the U.S. as a “sensitive country,” a designation it reserves for states with strict governments and border disputes.

The “sensitive” classification is a technical configuration that signifies some labels within a given country are different from other countries.

The new classification for the U.S. came after President Donald Trump said his administration would make name changes on official maps and federal communications. Those changes include renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” and renaming Mount Denali as Mount McKinley.

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

Google reclassifies U.S. as ‘sensitive country’ alongside China, Russia after Trump’s ‘Gulf of America’ comments