The dotted lines marking the border between Western Sahara and Morocco, which indicate the territory’s disputed status, have never been visible to users accessing Google Maps from within Morocco, the company told AFP on Tuesday.
Following media reports last week linking the map discrepancy to the UN Security Council’s endorsement of Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara, Google issued a statement clarifying that no recent changes had been made to its map displays.
“We have not made changes to Morocco or Western Sahara on Google Maps,” a Google spokesperson said in a statement to AFP.
“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.”
Western Sahara, a vast, mineral-rich former Spanish colony, is largely controlled by Morocco but has long been claimed by the pro-independence Polisario Front, which is backed by Algeria.
The United Nations Security Council has repeatedly urged Morocco, the Polisario Front, Algeria, and Mauritania to resume negotiations aimed at reaching a comprehensive political settlement.
However, under a 2020 initiative supported by the administration of then–U.S. President Donald Trump, the council backed a proposal first advanced by Rabat in 2007, granting Western Sahara autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty.
AFP
