Technology — Google faces heat

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View Online Technology Technology The Big Story  Google caught in crossfire over gulf name change Google is back in the crosshairs of a geopolitical battle over President Trump's renaming of the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, raising fresh questions over the role technology companies can play in reinforcing political narratives. © Jeff Chiu, Associated Press file The company's decision to follow Trump's order on Google Maps quickly sparked backlash from Mexico, where leaders are now threatening legal action against the company.   While this is not the first time since Google faced disputes over its geographical name changes, experts say this opens a Pandora's box of questions about how major tech companies help shape global narratives.   "Google, along with the other major platforms, wield enormous influence in how people perceive geography, history and political realities," said Tobias Feakin, Australia's former inaugural ambassador for cyber affairs and critical technology.   "What appears on a map isn't just data, it shapes global narratives. When Google changes a name, it effectively validates a political stance, even if unintentionally," he continued.   Shortly after Trump's executive order to rename the body of water, the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) made the change official, prompting Google Maps to follow suit for U.S. users.    Apple Maps and Bing Maps also updated their systems to align with the change.     Google maintains it has a long-standing practice of applying name changes when they are updated in official government sources, as the GNIS did. In a case where official names vary between nations, users will see their official local names, according to Google's policy.     Quickly resisting the change, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has threatened to file suit against Google, arguing Trump's executive order renaming the Gulf applied only to the area of the continental shelf under U.S. control.   The backlash against Google comes as technology companies continue to become more influential in broader society. With this growing power comes a larger role in geopolitics, or the ways geography impacts politics and foreign relations.   "Tech companies are no longer just participants in geopolitics, they are shaping it," said Feakin, whose research examines geopolitics and its intersection with advanced and emerging technologies.   Read more in a full report at TheHill.com   Welcome to The Hill's Technology newsletter, we're Julia Shapero and Miranda Nazzaro — tracking the latest moves from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads  How policy will be impacting the tech sector now and in the future: Musk wields chainsaw onstage at CPAC, touting DOGE cuts Tech billionaire Elon Musk joined the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) stage Thursday wielding a chainsaw, underscoring his efforts to slash the federal budget and workforce through President Trump’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency panel. Dressed in a black “Make America Great Again” hat and sunglasses and chain, Musk walked on stage and was joined shortly after by Argentine President …  Full Story Musk calls former International Space Station commander 'idiot' in exchange over astronauts Tech billionaire Elon Musk called a former commander of the International Space Station an "idiot" on Thursday after he pushed back on Musk's claim that the Biden administration "left" two astronauts in space "for political reasons." "What a lie," Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen said on social platform X. "And from someone who complains about lack of honesty from the mainstream media." Mogensen was responding to a clip of …  Full Story FTC launches probe into 'Big Tech censorship' The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is launching a probe into leading technology companies’ content policies and user bans, Chair Andrew Ferguson announced Thursday, suggesting their actions could amount to illegal censorship. “Big Tech censorship is not just un-American, it is potentially illegal. The FTC wants your help to investigate these potential violations of the law,” Ferguson wrote in a post on the …  Full Story DOGE efforts to access private data spark sharp pushback Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) efforts to tap into databases across the government is facing broad pushback from a variety of groups sounding the alarm over the privacy and security risks. DOGE is facing more than a dozen lawsuits as its staffers pop up at agencies across the government, seeking to tap into databases covering everything from federal payments to citizens' Social Security numbers, …  Full Story Crypto Corner  SEC's new cyber unit signals new approach to enforcement  © AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File Welcome to Crypto Corner, a new feature in The Hill's Technology newsletter focused on digital currency and its outlook in Washington. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced on Thursday the launch of the Cyber and Emerging Technologies Unit (CETU), aimed at fighting cyber-related misconduct and protecting retail investors.    The CETU will be led by Laura D'Alliard, the former co-chief of the SEC's crypto unit, and will involve about 30 fraud specialists and attorneys across the agency.     CoinDesk pointed out the unit has changed directions over the years, and the name change is the latest signal the Trump administration is leaning away from the aggressive enforcement against the cryptocurrency industry.   Over the past three years, the group was called "Cyber Unit" then switched to "Crypto Assets and Cyber Unit" and now, "Cyber and Emerging Technologies Unit" with no mention of crypto in the title.    Acting SEC Chairman Mark Uyeda said Thursday the unit will "not only protect investors but will also facilitate capital formation and market efficiency by clearing the way for innovation to grow."    "It will root out those seeking to misuser innovation to harm investors and diminish confidence in new technologies," he continued.   The statement is notably different from those former SEC Chair Gary Gensler, who said in 2022 that the unit would act against "those seeking to take advantage of investors in crypto markets," CoinDesk noted.  The Refresh  News we've flagged from the intersection of tech and other topics: Meta starts accepting sign-ups for Community Notes feature (TechCrunch) Brazil's top court orders Elon Musk's X to pay fine (Reuters)  In Other News  Branch out with other reads on The Hill: Bannon: 'Oligarchs' will abandon Republicans Steve Bannon argued that the "oligarchs" close to President Trump will abandon Republicans the same way they did to Democrats. Bannon was briefly interviewed by CNN's Donie O'Sullivan on Wednesday, when he continued his case against tech billionaires Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. "You can tell President Trump doesn't totally trust the oligarchs," Bannon said. The adviser-turned-podcaster went on to say he wasn't a conservative … Full Story Musk says X Community Notes increasingly 'gamed by governments & legacy media' Elon Musk on Thursday said he is going to “fix” his social media platform’s X Community Notes feature, claiming without evidence the feature is being “gamed” by governments and legacy media.” “Unfortunately, @CommunityNotes is increasingly being gamed by governments & legacy media,” Musk wrote on X. “Working to fix this …” The tech billionaire’s remarks were … Full Story What Others are Reading  Two key stories on The Hill right now: Ukrainians shocked, defiant in face of Trump attacks on Zelensky Ukrainian officials feel betrayed but defiant after President Trump this week blamed their president for Russia's invasion, as the U.S. pursues talks … Read more Hegseth's proposed Pentagon cuts, firing of generals: What to know Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed senior Pentagon officials and military leaders to forge plans that would result in an 8 percent cut to … Read more What Others are Reading  Opinion related to tech submitted to The Hill: DOGE is causing the very problem it claims to be solving    You're all caught up. 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