Google has confirmed that its mapping service shows a different depiction of the border between Morocco and Western Sahara depending on where a user accesses the service. This practice, which the company describes as a long-standing policy for disputed territories, has recently drawn attention.
For users outside of Morocco, Google Maps displays the territory of Western Sahara labeled as such, with a dotted line indicating its contested border with Morocco. However, for users within Morocco itself, the map does not show the label “Western Sahara” nor the dotted border line.
The vast, resource-rich territory of Western Sahara was a Spanish colony until the 1970s. It is currently mostly administered by Morocco, but its status is fiercely contested. The Polisario Front, an independence movement backed by Algeria, seeks sovereignty over the region. Long-standing United Nations efforts have aimed to broker a political solution between the parties involved.
The recent scrutiny of Google’s mapping policy coincides with diplomatic developments at the UN Security Council. The council recently endorsed a resolution supporting an autonomy plan for the territory under Moroccan sovereignty, a proposal initially put forward by Morocco years ago and championed by the previous U.S. administration.