Apple and Google Rename Lake Ontario to Lake America Following Trump Order
4 sources across 2 countries · United States · United Kingdom
Who reported this
- MS NOW
- CNN
- Associated Press
- The Guardian
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
- A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.
Political lean describes where an outlet sits within the politics of its own country. It is never a position on a single global scale.
Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.
The owner of each outlet is listed as a matter of record, not as a judgement about the outlet.
Apple and Google have renamed Lake Ontario as Lake America for users within the United States following an executive order from President Donald Trump. The change applies to US users of Apple Maps and Google Maps; however, users in Canada continue to see the name Lake Ontario. Google stated that users outside of both the US and Canada will see both names. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated that the president reached out to Apple directly regarding the change.
The renaming occurs amid a trade dispute between the United States and Canada. Trade talks between Washington and Ottawa recently collapsed, leading the US to impose tariffs of up to 50 percent on various Canadian imports. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the renaming, noting that the original name predates both the US Declaration of Independence and the Canadian Confederation. Ontario Premier Doug Ford also condemned the move, calling the president a bully and a loser.
In contrast to the tech giants, MapQuest has refused to change the name. This decision led to a surge in downloads, with the app reaching the top spot on the Apple App Store in the US. MapQuest General Manager Doug Berger reported that usage is through the roof, with downloads increasing by over a million.
President Trump celebrated the adoption of the name by Apple and Google on social media, declaring the change complete, ratified, and binding. In the executive order, the president stated the purpose of the renaming was to recognize the contributions of the American people and the rich heritage of US history.
How each side framed it
- Left
- This framing characterized the situation as a bitter trade war and highlighted the condemnation of the president by Canadian officials.
- Centre-left
- These reports emphasized the retaliatory nature of the name change within the context of a trade war and highlighted MapQuest's defiance.
- Centre
- This coverage focused on the factual occurrence of the name change following the executive order.
Sources
- Centre Associated Press: Apple changes Lake Ontario name to 'Lake America' for US users of its Maps, following Trump's order - AP News
- Centre-left CNN: MapQuest trolls Trump on ‘Lake America’
- Centre-left CNN: ‘Blown away’: Mapquest GM on reaction to keeping Lake Ontario name despite Trump order
- Left MS NOW: Apple renames Lake Ontario ‘Lake America’ as MapQuest downloads surge
- Centre-left The Guardian: Apple Maps renames Lake Ontario as ‘Lake America’ for US users after Trump order
100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.