Google Maps Sparks Outrage in Canada Over 'Lake America' Snafu
Alphabet's Google has found itself at the center of a controversy in Canada after renaming 'Lake Ontario' to 'Lake America' in Google Maps. The move came as US President Donald Trump signed an executive order last week to rename the Great Lake, which straddles Canada and the US, amid an escalating trade war between the two countries.
The lake has been known by its original name for over 400 years, and Canadians have taken to social media to condemn the tech giant for changing the name and bowing to pressure from President Trump. Canadian government officials scrambled to change the name back on several official websites after it appeared in Google Maps.
Alphabet has said it is altering the way the lake's name is displayed in both the US and internationally, but the move has sparked outrage among Canadians who see it as an insult directed at their country. The renaming occurred as the US and Canada escalate a trade war, with each country imposing new tariffs on about $20 billion worth of each other's imports.