Google Maps renames Lake Ontario after Trump’s decree on ‘Lake America’

What the report says

Google Maps has updated its U.S. version to show Lake Ontario as Lake America, following a Trump administration order to rename the waterway. According to Al Jazeera, Google said the change is being rolled out after the U.S. Geographic Names Information System updated the official listing. The company said users in Canada will still see Lake Ontario, while people outside the U.S. and Canada may see both names.

The lake lies between Ontario and New York, and the move comes amid sharper trade tensions between the United States and Canada. Al Jazeera reported that Trump has tied the name change to his broader tariff dispute with Canada, which has included new levies and retaliatory measures. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney responded by emphasizing the Indigenous roots and long history of the name Ontario, arguing that the body of water should continue to be called Lake Ontario.

The episode has also drawn criticism in Canada. Ontario Premier Doug Ford mocked the decision and said the name would not stick. The report noted that Google previously made a similar adjustment when Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, while Apple Maps had not yet changed the lake’s name for U.S. users at the time of publication. The dispute highlights how political disputes can spill into digital map services and public naming conventions.