“Lake America” designations are now visible on Google Maps, and President Donald Trump of the United States is urging Apple to do the same by default on every iPhone’s preinstalled navigation application.
Experts in the technology industry point out a concerning reality for many Canadian consumers and businesses: they are essentially “tied” to these American-owned platforms, with limited alternative options that are not American.
According to Anne Pasek, Canada Research Chair in Media, Culture and the Environment at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, “Canadians often live under the influence of American tech monopolies, a fact that is sometimes overlooked until moments of controversy arise.”
“A significant portion of our digital and related lives falls under the control of American companies, thereby subject to American laws,” she added.
Several Canadian websites, including those of the federal government, exhibited maps with the name “Lake Ontario” replaced by “Lake America” on August 30, following Google Maps’ announcement to comply with an executive order from U.S. President Donald Trump. Although Google stated that the change was intended for U.S. users, certain Canadian sites using third-party protocols that access data from Google’s U.S. API were inadvertently affected by the alteration.
Recent changes have been observed on several Canadian websites, including those of federal government agencies and major banks, depicting Lake Ontario as Lake America.
These alterations come in response to an executive order issued by Trump, instructing the U.S. federal government to formally rename one of the Great Lakes that separates the two nations amidst an escalating trade conflict.
Google implemented the change for U.S. users and provided an option for non-American websites to retain the label “Lake Ontario” by customizing their maps and setting their location to Canada.
The company mentioned on Saturday, “These adjustments align with our established protocol for bodies of water with differing names across countries.”
U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated on Fox Business on Monday that Trump had reached out to Apple, requesting the alteration of “Lake Ontario” to “Lake America” on its applications. Apple has not responded to multiple inquiries from CBC News.
In addition to offering real-time guidance to millions of users, mapping tools from major U.S. tech companies are deeply integrated into the websites and operations of numerous Canadian enterprises.
They provide essential details such as business hours, contact information, reviews, and other critical information. They also facilitate auto-completion of addresses on e-commerce platforms and enable rideshare and food-delivery apps to monitor traffic and road conditions.
Pasek remarked, “There is a noticeable monopoly. Individuals and businesses are heavily reliant on these platforms.”
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Emily Osborne, a policy research associate at the Canadian Shield Institute, a Toronto-based think-tank founded by BlackBerry co-founder Jim Balsillie to enhance public policy regarding technology and national security while