Google has modified its Maps service to reflect a US government directive renaming Lake Ontario to "Lake America", highlighting escalating diplomatic and trade tensions between Washington and Ottawa.
"Since we update Google Maps to reflect name changes in official government sources ... people using Maps in the US will see 'Lake America'," Google said Saturday.
US President Donald Trump, who ordered the change, noted the adjustment on Truth Social, posting: "Google Maps changes Lake Ontario to 'Lake America' on US phones."
The company clarified that users in Canada will continue to see Lake Ontario, whilst those outside both countries will see both designations displayed as "Lake Ontario (Lake America)".
The update follows formal changes implemented by the US Geographic Names Information System, the federal agency tasked with standardising geographic names.
The adjustment stems from an executive order signed by Trump directing American government agencies to adopt the name across all official databases, with Trump stating the move takes immediate effect in response to recent bilateral friction.
Collapse of bilateral trade
In January 2025, shortly after returning to office, Trump similarly ordered the Gulf of Mexico renamed the "Gulf of America", prompting comparable regional display adjustments on Google Maps.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford rejected the measure, unveiling a new "Lake Ontario" sign on Saturday to reaffirm the waterway’s historical identity.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney also condemned the executive order, citing the Wendat, an Indigenous people of North America, as the origin of the historic name.
The dispute unfolds alongside an intensifying trade conflict.
Canada is scheduled to impose counter-tariffs ranging between 15 percent and 50 percent on $20 billion worth of US imports starting on September 8.
The retaliatory measures follow the collapse of bilateral trade talks and the subsequent US imposition of 50 percent tariffs on CAN$27.6 billion worth of Canadian products on August 22.
