Google says Western Sahara’s dotted border has never appeared for users in Morocco, following longstanding disputed territory policies.
NEW YORK: Google has denied removing the dotted border for Western Sahara on its Maps service for users in Morocco.
The company told AFP on Tuesday that the disputed territory’s border has never been visible to people using Google Maps within Morocco.
This clarification came after media reports last week highlighted the discrepancy and linked it to the UN Security Council endorsing Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara.
“We have not made changes to Morocco or Western Sahara on Google Maps,” a Google spokesperson stated.
“These labels follow our longstanding policies for disputed regions.”
The spokesperson explained that users outside Morocco see Western Sahara with a dotted line representing its disputed border.
People accessing Maps within Morocco do not see Western Sahara displayed at all.
Western Sahara is a mineral-rich former Spanish colony largely controlled by Morocco.
The territory has been claimed for decades by the pro-independence Polisario Front, which receives support from Algeria.
The United Nations Security Council had previously urged Morocco, the Polisario Front, Algeria and Mauritania to resume negotiations.
However, the council’s recent resolution supported an autonomy plan initially presented by Rabat in 2007.
This plan would see Western Sahara enjoy autonomy under Morocco’s sole sovereignty. – AFP
