Apple Inc renamed Lake Ontario "Lake America” on its maps service, following a similar move by Alphabet Inc’s Google, in the wake of an order from US President Donald Trump.
The modification was made for users in the US, with the Canadian version of Apple Maps continuing to show the Lake Ontario name and international versions showing both names. The body of water, one of North America’s five Great Lakes, straddles the border of New York state and Canada’s Ontario province.
Apple took the step after Trump signed a directive changing the name, escalating a trade spat with Canada. The order gave the Interior Department 30 days to make the switch in federal databases and materials.
A spokesperson for Cupertino, California-based Apple declined to comment.
After Google made the adjustment in recent days, the search giant faced an uproar on social media. MapQuest, another maps provider, has said it doesn’t currently plan to make the change, which has already been picked up by the official US government geographic naming system.
Last year, Apple quickly renamed the Gulf of Mexico "Gulf of America,” also at the behest of Trump.
The latest change comes on the first day for Apple’s new chief executive officer, John Ternus. But predecessor Tim Cook, now executive chairman, will still be in a position to help manage such issues. He remains responsible for the company’s relationship with the White House and other governments around the world. – Bloomberg
