Google's Cartographic Politics: A Tale of Two Lakes

Google's decision to change the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America has sparked controversy after US President Donald Trump issued an executive order in August directing the US Department of the Interior and Board on Geographic Names to replace 'Lake Ontario' with 'Lake America' in the Geographic Names Information System, or GNIS.

According to the order, the lake is vital to American shipping, manufacturing, power generation, and employment, and the US supplies nine of the 11 icebreakers operating across the Great Lakes. Trump's version recognizes the American investment and protection that sustain it.

The decision was made in the context of US-Canada trade negotiations disintegrating and Washington imposing 50% tariffs on billions of dollars' worth of Canadian products. Canada announced matching retaliation, with Trump accusing it of exploiting the United States and not wanting 'Canadian anything'. The lake became another instrument of pressure.

Google's decision to follow this change has been criticized as it prioritizes the newly updated American database over international usage. Other mapping platforms such as Apple Maps and MapQuest continued to identify the body of water as Lake Ontario for American users, exposing that digital mapmakers have policies, editorial standards, and discretion over how competing names are presented.