Apple, Google rename Lake Ontario ‘Lake America’ for US users after Trump’s order: Were they legally bound to comply?
Apple and Google updated their Maps apps for US users to show Lake Ontario as 'Lake America' after President Trump ordered the name changed in the US government’s GNIS database. Private companies are not legally bound by the order, and MapQuest kept “Lake Ontario.”
After US President Donald Trump signed an executive order renaming Canada's Lake Ontario to Lake America, tech giants Apple and Google complied for their US consumers, even though there was no legal requirement for them to do so. This move came after US trade talks with Canada stalled and Trump imposed 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian imports.
US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum suggested Apple might soon follow suit. Google also announced they would rename the lake as Lake America for US users, complying with the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), the official US government map database. However, not all companies agreed to change the name, with MapQuest opting to keep Lake Ontario. This was not obligatory for private companies under the executive order.
Written by urgent.news from Live Mint's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
