“Lake America” labels are now visible on Google Maps, and President Donald Trump is urging Apple to do the same by default on all iPhones.
Experts in the tech industry point out a concerning reality for many Canadians – they are essentially tied to these American-owned platforms with limited non-American alternatives available.
Anne Pasek, Canada Research Chair in Media, Culture, and the Environment at Trent University, emphasized that Canadians often overlook the dominance of American tech giants until situations like this arise.
She highlighted that many aspects of Canadian digital life fall under the control of American companies and, consequently, American laws.
Several Canadian websites, including federal government sites, showcased maps with Lake Ontario renamed as Lake America on August 30. This change followed Google Maps’ adjustment to comply with an executive order issued by President Trump. While Google stated the modification was targeted at U.S. users, some Canadian sites utilizing third-party protocols linked to Google’s U.S. API were inadvertently affected.
Recent observations reveal that certain Canadian websites, including federal government portals and major banks, have adopted the label “Lake America” instead of “Lake Ontario” on their maps.
These alterations were prompted by an executive order from President Trump instructing the official renaming of one of the Great Lakes, a move made amidst escalating trade tensions between the two nations.
Google implemented the change for American users and provided a feature for non-U.S. websites to display the original label “Lake Ontario” by adjusting their map settings to Canada.
The company clarified its actions, stating, “These updates align with our established protocol for bodies of water with differing names across countries.”
U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum revealed in an interview with Fox Business that President Trump had approached Apple to request the alteration of “Lake Ontario” to “Lake America” within its applications. Apple has not yet responded to CBC News’ inquiries.
Aside from offering navigation services to millions, mapping tools from American tech giants are deeply integrated into the operations of numerous Canadian enterprises.
These tools provide crucial information such as operating hours, contact details, and reviews. They also support e-commerce platforms by auto-populating addresses and aid ride-sharing and food delivery apps in monitoring traffic conditions and roadwork.
Pasek remarked, “There is a noticeable monopoly at play where users feel bound to these platforms.”
Could Trump exploit technological ‘pressure points’ against Canada?
Emily Osborne, a policy research associate at the Canadian Shield Institute, established by BlackBerry co-founder Jim Balsillie to enhance technology-related public policy and national security, expressed concerns about Canada’s reliance on American tech companies like Google and Apple for various digital services.
Regarding navigation services, Osborne suggested considering Dutch companies TomTom and HERE Technologies as potential substitutes for Google and Apple.
Previously, Canada had a local alternative in Toronto-based Avenza Systems, which was acquired by Blue