President Donald Trump has moved beyond ordering the US government to call Lake Ontario “Lake America.” His administration is now seeking the same result from one of the world’s largest consumer technology companies.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Monday that Trump personally contacted Apple about changing the name displayed on Apple Maps. Apple had not publicly committed to doing so when Reuters reported the conversation.
“The president reached out to Apple directly, so I’m sure that we may be seeing that change coming up soon to Lake America,” Burgum told Fox Business.
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Meanwhile, Alphabet changed Google Maps after the US Geographic Names Information System adopted the Trump administration’s designation. US users now see “Lake America,” Canadian users continue to see “Lake Ontario,” and users outside both countries see both names.
Google said that approach follows its longstanding policy for geographic names that differ between countries.
Trump signed an executive order on August 27 directing the Interior Department and Board on Geographic Names to replace Lake Ontario with “Lake America” in US federal records. The order requires federal agencies to use the new designation but has no authority over Canadian naming conventions.
The move comes amid escalating trade tensions between Washington and Ottawa. Canadian officials have rejected the rename, while Ontario Premier Doug Ford responded with a lakeside message reaffirming “Lake Ontario.”
Apple Maps, however, was still showing Lake Ontario worldwide on Monday.
