Google Maps switches to "Lake America" as Canada compares change to "SNL" skit
Source: www.axios.com ·
Section: politics ·
Bias: Center-Right
· Published: Mon, 31 Aug 2026 02:03:17 GMT
President Trump's order to rename Lake Ontario to "Lake America" is stirring up more controversy, as tech companies decide whether to comply or not. The big picture: Google and other digital map providers — like MapQuest and Apple — have split on whether to accept the name change or keep Lake Ontario on their maps. Driving the news: An Axios review of Google and Apple Maps on Sunday showed Google now says "Lake America" on mobile and desktop, while Apple Maps says Lake Ontario. Google said Saturday that it had changed the maps in accordance with updates from the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and updated Google Maps "to reflect name changes in official government sources."However, "Lake America" was appearing on some Ontario government agency websites that pull data from Google Maps on Sunday, despite Google saying users in Canada would continue to see Lake Ontario.Representatives for Google did not immediately respond to Axios' Sunday evening request for comment. Screenshot: Ontario Premier Doug Ford/Ontario Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement Stephen Crawford/XZoom out: Google had said users in the U.S. will see Lake America, while users in Canada will see Lake Ontario, and users in other countries will see Lake Ontario (Lake America), according to the company's statement. "These updates follow our long-standing policy for bodies of water with names that vary from country to country, and are starting to roll out now."Google has taken a similar stance before, as when it changed the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America following a separate Trump executive order. Mexico threatened to sue over the change. Apple spokespeople were not immediately available to comment Sunday morning on the company's position. What they're saying: Backlash against the name change was swift after Trump signed the Aug. 27 executive order. Ontario Premier Doug Ford compared the move to a "Saturday Night Live" skit during a Sunday appearance on ABC's "This Week," saying: "No one's going to call it Lake of America. It's been Lake Ontario for hundreds of years. It's going to continue being Lake Ontario. It's just so disappointing."Between the lines: Not everyone is changing their maps. Mapquest, which provided internet mapping nearly a decade before Google, said Saturday that it will not change its maps to reflect Trump's order. "We're not changing the name of Lake Ontario. Name it whatever you want at your leisure," the company wrote in a tweet that has since gone viral. Go deeper: Scoop: Dems plan bill to counter Trump's "Lake America" orderEditor's note: This story has been updated with "Lake America" appearing on Ontario government agency websites using Google Maps data.
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