Apple has changed the name of Lake Ontario to “Lake America” on its Maps service for users in the United States, bringing the technology giant in line with a controversial executive order issued by President Donald Trump, Reuters reported. The update follows Google’s similar move and comes less than a week after Trump directed the US government to adopt the new name for the Great Lake shared by the United States and Canada.
The change is geographically selective. Apple Maps users in Canada will continue to see “Lake Ontario”, while users outside the United States and Canada are expected to see both names. The adjustment follows an update to the US Geographic Names Information System, which now officially lists the body of water as Lake America for US government purposes.
The decision comes amid heightened political and trade tensions between Washington and Ottawa and follows similar US backed renamings, including the Gulf of Mexico being labelled the “Gulf of America” on US mapping services. Canadian officials have rejected the Lake America designation, maintaining that the historic name Lake Ontario remains unchanged in Canada.
For Apple, the move highlights how geopolitical decisions are increasingly influencing digital platforms that operate across multiple jurisdictions. It also places the company alongside Google in adapting its mapping products to government naming databases, while competitors such as MapQuest have chosen to retain the traditional name.
