In a recent development, Google Maps has introduced labels referring to “Lake America,” a change that has sparked a request from U.S. President Donald Trump for Apple to follow suit by incorporating the updated navigation label into every iPhone’s preinstalled app.
This situation serves as a reminder of the prevalent reliance of many Canadian consumers and businesses on U.S.-based platforms, leaving them with limited non-American alternatives, as stated by tech industry experts. Anne Pasek, Canada Research Chair in Media, Culture, and the Environment at Trent University, emphasized that Canadians are significantly impacted by American tech monopolies, subjecting their digital and extended lives to American jurisdiction and laws.
The alteration to maps displaying Lake Ontario as Lake America has been observed on various Canadian websites, including federal government portals and major banks. Following a directive from President Trump amid trade tensions, Google implemented the change for U.S. users, offering non-American websites the option to display the original name by adjusting map settings to Canada.
Google clarified that the adjustment aligns with their existing policy for bodies of water with varying names across countries. U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum revealed that President Trump urged Apple to adopt the “Lake America” label, although the tech company has not yet responded to inquiries.
The integration of mapping tools from prominent U.S. tech companies into Canadian businesses’ websites plays a crucial role in providing essential information such as operating hours, contact details, and reviews. These tools also support e-commerce operations by facilitating address completion and assisting rideshare and food-delivery apps in navigating traffic conditions.
Policy research associate Emily Osborne from the Canadian Shield Institute highlighted the dependence on American tech firms like Google and Apple for various digital services, including navigation. She suggested Dutch companies TomTom and HERE Technologies as potential alternatives. Osborne expressed concerns that escalating tensions could prompt the Trump administration to exploit other tech-related pressure points against Canada, such as payment processing and cloud storage.
The recent acquisition of Toronto-based Avenza Systems by Maine’s Blue Marble Geographics eliminated a homegrown alternative for Canada. Osborne cited the vulnerability of Canadian businesses relying on U.S.-owned digital infrastructure, pointing to the AWS outage last fall that disrupted numerous Canadian operations. She emphasized the absence of Canadian alternatives in critical areas like credit card payment systems dominated by Visa and MasterCard.