Google is getting flak for changing Lake Ontario's name to Lake America
Canadian politicians are also scrubbing government websites that embed Google Maps to ensure the lake is labeled Lake Ontario.
Google Maps has altered the name of Lake Ontario to "Lake America" for American users, sparking widespread criticism. President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order renaming the lake to Lake America, which subsequently affected Google's mapping system. The US Geographic Names Information System formally updated the lake's name to Lake America, leading to Google displaying "Lake America" to American users and "Lake Ontario" to Canadian users.
Critics on social media called the change "pathetic" and an act of Google bowing down to Trump. Canadian politicians, including Stephen Crawford from Ontario's provincial parliament, expressed frustration as some government websites still displayed "Lake America" due to embedding Google Maps. Crawford's office confirmed they are reviewing affected websites to ensure accurate labeling of Lake Ontario as "Lake Ontario."
Ontario Premier Doug Ford also defended the lake's true name, stating, "Lake Ontario is and always will be Lake Ontario." Google spokesperson clarified that developers can choose a region for their website to determine local place names, with "Lake Ontario" appearing when set to Canada.
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