Apple Maps changes name of Lake Ontario to ‘Lake America’
Apple Maps changed the name of Lake Ontario to 'Lake America' for U.S. users, following a controversial executive order by President Donald Trump, a move also adopted by Google Maps. This decision, which mirrors a previous renaming of the Gulf of Mexico, highlights how U.S. tech companies are being drawn into geopolitical disputes.
Why it matters
This incident demonstrates the increasing pressure on major tech companies to comply with government directives, even those with international implications and domestic opposition, raising questions about corporate autonomy and geopolitical influence on digital platforms.
Apple changed the name of Lake Ontario to “Lake America” on the web version of its Apple Maps following U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order renaming the lake.
The move by Apple on Tuesday (September 1, 2026) followed a decision by Alphabet late on Saturday to change the name of the lake on its Google Maps for U.S. users .
Apple confirmed that U.S. users will see “Lake America” following a change to the body of water’s name in the U.S. Geographic Names Information System.
Users in Canada will continue to see Lake Ontario, and users in the rest of the world will see both names, following the same approach Apple used after Mr. Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.
Also covering this story
9 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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