Recently, Google Maps introduced “Lake America” labels, prompting U.S. President Donald Trump to urge Apple to follow suit by incorporating the change in the default navigation app on every iPhone. This development has shed light on the significant reliance of many Canadians on American-owned platforms, with limited alternative options available.
Anne Pasek, a Canada Research Chair at Trent University, emphasized that Canadians often operate within the realm of American tech monopolies, subjecting their digital activities and associated aspects to American jurisdiction and regulations.
Following Google’s adjustment, several Canadian websites, including government portals and major banks, have displayed maps showing Lake Ontario as “Lake America.” This alteration aligns with an executive order issued by President Trump as part of ongoing trade disputes between the U.S. and Canada.
Google clarified that the name change only affects U.S. users and offered a localization feature for non-American websites to revert to the original label “Lake Ontario” by adjusting their map settings to Canada.
In response to the situation, U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum revealed that President Trump had reached out to Apple regarding the renaming request. However, Apple has yet to comment on the matter.
The reliance on mapping services provided by American tech giants, beyond navigation assistance, extends to various Canadian businesses’ online operations, including displaying business information, auto-completing addresses, and facilitating traffic monitoring for delivery services.
Emily Osborne, a policy research associate at the Canadian Shield Institute, highlighted the dependence on American tech companies for digital services in Canada and suggested considering alternative navigation providers like TomTom and HERE Technologies.
With concerns over potential tech-related vulnerabilities in the face of escalating tensions between Canada and the U.S., Osborne warned of the need for Canadian businesses to diversify away from U.S.-controlled digital infrastructure to mitigate risks in critical areas such as payment processing and cloud storage.