Apple Maps follows Google in renaming Lake Ontario

Apple has become the second major US technology giant to comply with a Presidential decree, updating its Apple Maps app to display Lake Ontario as “Lake America” for US users. 

The change follows an executive order from US President Donald Trump, issued amid a rapidly escalating trade dispute with Canada that recently saw Washington levy 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods. According to reports, President Trump personally lobbied Apple executives to ensure the modification was implemented.

Under the rollout, US-based users will see the new “Lake America” label, while users in Canada will continue to view the traditional designation. Audiences in the rest of the world will see both names displayed, mirroring the approach both Apple and Google took when the Gulf of Mexico was previously redesignated as the “Gulf of America”.

The update arrives hot on the heels of a similar move by Google Maps, which also adopted the “Lake America” moniker for American users, drawing sharp rebukes from Canadian officials. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s administration dismissed the decree, while Ontario Premier Doug Ford erected a prominent billboard bearing the message, “Lake Ontario. Now and forever.”

While Silicon Valley giants have largely aligned with official US database changes, the compliance has created unintended ripple effects and massive opportunities for competitors.

Alternative mapping services have stepped into the spotlight by publicly rejecting the geopolitical rebranding. Most notably, the classic navigation service MapQuest went viral after declaring it would refuse to alter the label, sparking a massive wave of downloads that propelled its mobile app to the top of the App Store charts.

What is MapQuest and why are people turning to it from Google Maps?