In 1996, MapQuest put maps online before Google Maps; now it rejects ‘Lake America’

The popular online mapping service MapQuest has once again flexed its cartographic muscles, this time by defying the whims of President Donald Trump and letting users rename Lake Ontario. Following in the footsteps of its earlier protest when Trump attempted to rename the Gulf of Mexico as "Gulf of America," MapQuest has announced that they will not change the name of the lake, despite the U.S. government's attempt to rebrand it as "Lake America."

The company has even taken it a step further by providing an online name generator for users to submit their own renaming suggestions.

While the Trump administration's decision to change the name of Lake Ontario is likely to meet widespread ridicule and outrage, MapQuest's defiance of the government policy has garnered positive attention from social media users. They are flooding the internet with their own creative renaming ideas, primarily aimed at Trump and his administration.

Among the numerous suggestions, some stand out as particularly clever, such as "Lake Epstein," "Lake We Are Sorry Our President Is Being A Dick," "Lake Obama," "Lake Him Up," and "Lake of Mexico."

MapQuest, known for its competitive positioning in the map-finding industry alongside Google Maps and Apple Maps, may be using this opportunity to boost its brand image and gain favor with users seeking an alternative to the two dominant mapping apps. However, the company's move is not merely a marketing ploy, as it represents a rare instance of corporate defiance against government overreach.

As Google and Apple have already succumbed to Trump's demands in the "Gulf of America" case, some users are seeing MapQuest's stand as a reason to switch their preferred mapping app to this lesser-known service.