Apple Maps has altered the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America on its web platform following an executive order issued by U.S. President Donald Trump. Alphabet, the parent company of Google, also made a similar adjustment for U.S. users on Google Maps over the weekend. The renaming was prompted by a modification in the U.S. Geographic Names Information System, with U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum mentioning that Trump personally communicated with Apple on the matter.
For users in Canada, Lake Ontario remains unchanged, while global users will see both names displayed, a practice Apple previously adopted when Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. The adjustments on Google Maps caused temporary confusion in Canada, as some entities briefly displayed the Lake America name on their websites.
The situation highlights how U.S. tech firms are being entangled in geopolitical matters, as they face pressure from the Trump administration to adhere to contentious executive orders that have been met with resistance from allies and international entities. Trump’s directive only affects U.S. federal references to Lake Ontario and does not dictate what the lake is called by Canada, international bodies, or other organizations.
An overwhelming majority of Americans oppose Trump’s recent actions regarding Canadian trade and the renaming of Lake Ontario. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and New York Governor Kathy Hochul swiftly declared that they would maintain the lake’s traditional name, which dates back over 400 years, with New York sharing a border with the lake on the U.S. side. Approximately 52% of Lake Ontario’s surface area lies within Canada, with the remainder situated in New York.
Trump’s history of provocations towards Canada, including suggestions of it becoming the 51st U.S. state, have been met with dismissal by Canadian officials. His past renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America in January 2025 led to similar adjustments by Google and Apple on their mapping services for U.S. users.