Apple Renames Lake Ontario to 'Lake America' in Maps Following Direct Lobbying by President Donald Trump

Apple Maps has updated the name of Lake Ontario to 'Lake America' for US users. The tech company Apple modified the label for the landmark following direct lobbying from President Donald Trump.

The change took place on the same day that executive John Ternus became Apple’s next CEO. Apple is now the second US-based tech giant to comply with the controversial executive order, following Google's announcement that it had similarly updated Google Maps for US users.

While President Donald Trump’s order cannot compel private companies to change their naming conventions directly, it updates the US Geographic Names Information System, a reference guide used by companies like Google. Furthermore, US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated in a Fox News interview that President Donald Trump reached out to Apple directly to request the change.

Apple has a history of adhering to name changes ordered by President Donald Trump, previously renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America" and switching the name of Denali to “Mount McKinley”. Apple did not immediately respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment.

Meanwhile, other mapping services have responded differently. MapQuest pushed back against the name change on social media, resulting in its smartphone app surging to become the top free application in Apple’s AppStore.

The renaming effort coincides with souring relations between the US and Canada during the second term of President Donald Trump. Following the collapse of trade negotiations, the US imposed 50-percent tariffs on Canadian goods, prompting Canada to pledge retaliatory tariffs on US exports.