The PP and Vox are the only ones with headquarters in the Catalan Countries (according to Google Maps).

BarcelonaThere are no parties more openly opposed to the Catalan Countries than the PP and Vox. Especially belligerent in the Valencian Region, where they even oppose the unity of the Catalan language and the cultural ties between the different territories that speak it, they are the most critical of this concept popularized by the Valencian writer Joan Fuster, which includes Catalonia, the Valencian Community, the Balearic Islands, Northern Catalonia, and the Franja de Ponent. Fate—and some ironic internet users—has meant, however, that precisely the PP and Vox are the only Catalan parties that Google Maps literally locates within the Catalan Countries.

The issue is that, according to the ARA, the headquarters of the Catalan PP, located on Comte Urgell Street in Barcelona's Eixample, is presented on Google Maps as "PP - Partit Popular de Catalunya (Catalan Countries)", and the headquarters of Vox Barcelona, ​​​​located on Camp Street in the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district, is presented as "Vox Headquarters in Barcelona (Catalan Countries)". No other political party headquarters has the "Catalan Countries" addition associated with Google Maps, not even those that encompass this concept. Consulted by this newspaper, the journalist expert in new technologies Albert Cuesta assures that "it is another case of the manipulation of descriptions of businesses and entities."

To understand why this happens, it's important to know that alterations like this political satire are common on social media and "affect businesses of many types." One of the most common cases is the Spanish-language rebranding of names, whether of companies or squares and streets. The Alliance for the Digital Presence of Catalan, which Cuesta represents through the .cat Foundation, has repeatedly warned of these actions, which they describe as "sabotage," in response to user complaints. "If someone has a problem with a company, they can change its name or description," they assert. "Google Maps obtains information on businesses or parties that have registered with Google My Business, its registry of businesses and entities," explains the expert, who adds that the problem here lies in the fact that many businesses or entities "have not claimed ownership" of the premises or building on the platform. For someone to prove they are the owner of a premises, they must provide Google with identification documents. Those who do not claim ownership may be subject to modifications by users who make suggestions to Google Maps, also "malicious", which it often accepts: if it is not registered, the owner of the premises – a company, an entity or a party – does not even know, because Google does not address them.

Different cases

Cuesta analyzed the two cases of the pro-Spanish parties, which have specific characteristics: "The PP did not claim ownership of the headquarters on Google Maps," he emphasizes, adding that this has yet to be done. In contrast, the headquarters of Vox Barcelona "is surprising because it is attributed to an owner." Therefore, the owner of Vox Barcelona must have validated or overlooked the presence of "Països Catalans" in the name attributed to them on Google Maps. And where has it been incorporated? Cuesta maintains that the manipulation of the business description can affect the name, category of the company or entity, general description, or free text section of the listing.