Google Maps now shows US users "Lake America" instead of "Lake Ontario," matching a federal database update after Trump's August 27 executive order; Canadian users still see Lake Ontario.
Read the full story: Google Maps Renames Lake Ontario to Lake America for US Users →
Transcript
Google Maps just started showing US users a different name for Lake Ontario. Open the app in the States and you'll see Lake America. Open it in Canada, still Lake Ontario. Here's why. President Trump signed an executive order renaming the lake, effective immediately, right in the middle of an escalating trade war with Canada. Google didn't take a side. It just did what it's done since the Gulf of America rename last year: match the label to whichever country's official database you're standing in. Everyone outside the US and Canada sees both names. MapQuest refused to play along, flatly saying it's not changing anything. Canada's prime minister pointed out the name is four hundred years old. None of that matters legally. One signature, seventy two hours, and hundreds of millions of phones show a different word.