US map apps relabel Lake Ontario as Lake America
Thestandard · 2 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Google Maps and Apple Maps have updated how they label Lake Ontario for US users after President Donald Trump ordered the lake renamed “Lake America” in US federal usage. Both companies said the change follows the US Geographic Names Information System, while keeping “Lake Ontario” for users in Canada and showing both names in other countries. The move has drawn the technology platforms into a widening political dispute linked to US-Canada tensions, with Canadian leaders and New York Governor Kathy Hochul rejecting the new name. The lake is one of North America’s five Great Lakes, and about 52% of its surface area lies in Canada, with the rest in New York state
Key Points
- Google said on Saturday that US users would see “Lake America”, Canada would keep “Lake Ontario”, and other regions would see both names
- Apple confirmed on Tuesday that it made the same change on Apple Maps web after the GNIS entry was updated
- Trump signed the executive order at the White House on August 27, with a map beside him showing “Lake America”
- The order applies to US federal usage only and does not determine what Canada or international bodies call the lake
- Ontario Premier Doug Ford answered with a billboard on the Canadian shore reading: “Lake Ontario. Now and forever.”
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the episode shows how global consumer platforms can quickly alter what users see when governments change official databases, even when the naming remains disputed abroad. It also underlines that map labels may now vary by jurisdiction, which matters for cross-border business, media work and everyday information searches on widely used tech services.