Apple and Google rename Lake Ontario to Lake America; one app refuses Trump’s order
MapQuest has surged in popularity after refusing to comply with a US executive order to rename Lake Ontario to 'Lake America' on its digital maps. While Apple and Google updated their platforms to reflect the directive, MapQuest's defiance led to a massive spike in downloads and top-tier App Store rankings.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the intersection of corporate compliance, government directives, and consumer preference for brand autonomy in the digital age.
Google Maps and Apple Maps followed federal directives to rebrand Lake Ontario as “Lake America” for users across the US but one app stood out for ‘not yielding’ – pushing it to No. 1 overall ranking on the US App Store, jumping up from the eighth position just a day earlier. The veteran digital navigation platform MapQuest drew a firm line in the sand, helping it return to prominence.The sudden surge in installations follows an August 27 executive order by President Donald Trump. While both Apple and Google quickly updated their platforms to reflect the change, MapQuest posted an announcement on X declaring that it would not comply with the rename. The company posted three different posts on the same:“We’re not changing it”, “We're not changing the name of Lake Ontario.
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