Google has denied making any recent changes to how borders between Western Sahara and Morocco appear on its Maps platform, following media speculation that the tech company had removed the dotted lines marking the disputed territory.
In a statement to AFP on Tuesday, a Google spokesperson clarified that no modifications were made, stressing that the platform’s display of disputed borders has long followed established internal policies.
“We have not made changes to Morocco or Western Sahara on Google Maps,” the spokesperson said. “These labels follow our longstanding policies for disputed regions. People using Maps outside of Morocco see Western Sahara and a dotted line to represent its disputed border; people using Maps in Morocco do not see Western Sahara.”
The clarification comes after reports last week suggested that Google had updated the map’s border visualization shortly after the UN Security Council backed Morocco’s 2007 autonomy plan for Western Sahara — a move that critics said effectively legitimized Morocco’s claim over the region.
However, Google emphasized that the border difference has always existed, depending on the user’s geographical location and local regulations that determine how politically sensitive areas are displayed. This practice aligns with how the company represents other contested territories globally, such as Crimea and Kashmir.
Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony rich in minerals and phosphates, has been the subject of a decades-long territorial dispute. Morocco currently controls most of the region, while the Polisario Front, backed by Algeria, continues to push for full independence.
The United Nations still classifies Western Sahara as a “non-self-governing territory,” and several peace efforts have stalled over the years. Despite the UN’s calls for renewed negotiations involving Morocco, the Polisario Front, Algeria, and Mauritania, progress has remained limited.
The recent Security Council resolution — first encouraged under the Trump administration — reaffirmed support for Morocco’s autonomy proposal, suggesting that Western Sahara could operate with self-governing powers under Rabat’s sovereignty.
For now, Google’s statement reaffirms that the border representation differences on Maps reflect longstanding regional variations, not recent political influence or map updates.
