Google Maps Renamed Lake Ontario to 'Lake America' - But Only for U.S. Users (thedailybeast.com)
- Reference: 0185303472
- News link: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/26/08/30/1850233/google-maps-renamed-lake-ontario-to-lake-america---but-only-for-us-users
- Source link: https://www.thedailybeast.com/google-maps-faces-fury-for-caving-to-trumps-lake-america-demand/
"Those in Canada will continue to see 'Lake Ontario'," Google said.
And people from every other country in the world... "will see both names." Though here's how it will be written...
Lake Ontario (Lake America)
"These updates follow our long-standing policy for bodies of water with names that vary from country to country, and are starting to roll out now."
Meanwhile, [4]NPR reports that Ontario's Premier posted a billboard reading "Lake Ontario — Now and Always" on Canada's side of the lake (repeating the message in French). And The Daily Beast reports Google move has also [5]drawn some criticism online :
> "Hey you gave one of the Great Lakes the wrong name; pretty embarrassing mistake so you might want to fix that," one user wrote on X...
>
> MapQuest has said it will not be changing the name, and instead launched a new tool that allows users to rename it themselves to whatever they want.
[1] https://imgur.com/a/L7BMgf1
[2] https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/maps/gnis-lake-ontario-lake-america-name-change/
[3] https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/search/names/970427
[4] https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2026-08-30/canada-claps-back-at-trumps-efforts-to-rename-lake-ontario-as-lake-america
[5] https://www.thedailybeast.com/google-maps-faces-fury-for-caving-to-trumps-lake-america-demand/
I look forward to 2029 (Score:3, Insightful)
When we can put an end to this nonsense.
Re: (Score:2)
Good luck with that...
Re: I look forward to 2029 (Score:3)
Luck won't be required. All we need is for the Dems to avoid any major footguns.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
> Luck won't be required. All we need is for the Dems to avoid any major footguns.
Well, so far this century that has been a real challenge for the Democratic Party. This year they seem to be more happy to satisfy their fringe base than to assemble a slate of candidates AND a platform of policies that would appeal to the independents who will actually decide elections.
Re: I look forward to 2029 (Score:2)
Now anyone who runs on a platform of "I'll undo everything the last president did" will be a shoe in.
Re: (Score:2)
If the dems think that then they're going to fail again.
Re: I look forward to 2029 (Score:2)
Sir, I fear sooner or later we will need a plan B.
Re: (Score:2)
> When we can put an end to this nonsense.
Tuesday, November 3, 2026 and Tuesday, November 2, 2027
Re: (Score:2)
Because that worked out so well for Uranus jokes.
Unless you do something (Score:2, Troll)
About county level voter suppression Trump is going to win the third term. If his health doesn't hold out it will be JD Vance and he will continue project 2025. Everyone will be very confused why that happened and they will continue to ignore the millions of Americans unable to vote because they have their voter registration challenged and didn't have a weekday afternoon to go down to the courthouse to fix that or maybe they couldn't wait in line for 3 hours to vote on election Day.
The problem is county
Re: (Score:2)
> About county level voter suppression Trump is going to win the third term.
The constitution is clear. Trump is ineligible to become president after January 20, 2029 unless he becomes Speaker of the House (the highest line-of-succession post in which he can legally take office) and both POTUS and VPOTUS resign or die, or unless he takes some post even lower in the line of succession and an even larger number of people resign or die. And even that path to the presidency isn't clearly constitutional; it just isn't absolutely black-and-white unconstitutional.
So no, Trump cannot win
Re: Unless you do something (Score:2)
You're assuming there will be an election in 2028...
Re: (Score:2)
There's a loophole in the 22nd amendment you forgot about that Trump is aware of, the vice-presidential switcheroo:
[1]https://www.politico.com/news/... [politico.com]
[1] https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/01/31/trump-defy-constitution-third-term-00200239
Re: (Score:2)
For four years, perhaps. Maybe even eight. But the Democrats are committed to not changing any of the things which put the USA one bad election away from something like this. You need far greater change if you want to escape Trump-alikes.
Re: (Score:2)
If Americans think that the rest of the world will embrace them again with open arms just because they elect a democrat, they're deluding themselves. The damage is done, the trust is broken, the relationship and reputational damage will take decades to rebuild.
Re: (Score:2)
Generations.
Re: (Score:2)
Once Trump is gone, the people who voted for Trump, and those who have enabled him in office, will all be unchanged.
Re: I look forward to 2029 (Score:2)
"The war is never completely won. There are always new battles to be fought against the darkness. Only the names change." -Babylon 5
google has shadowbanned the US (Score:5, Insightful)
Only we can see our own stupidity.
to the rest of the world: sorry. our leaders are idiots. I wonder how much longer I will be allowed to say that ?
fascists roots (Score:2)
Google complies because they fear being cut out of the no-bid quid pro quo bureaucracy that currently dominates all political decision-making in the White House.
Re:fascists roots (Score:4, Insightful)
> Google complies because they fear being cut out of the no-bid quid pro quo bureaucracy that currently dominates all political decision-making in the White House.
To be fair, Trump is pretty capricious and vindictive when people simply don't bend to his whims. For example, today [1]Trump says NBC’s Kristen Welker should face ‘punishment’ from FCC [theguardian.com] simply because she said his endorsements have had "some mixed results" on Meet the Press -- which is absolutely true, not all his endorsed candidates win.
> Trump “is going to loom large over these midterms,” Welker remarked on that live shot. “He, of course, has endorsed a slate of candidates in the primaries. He’s had some mixed results.”
> ... the president then took verbal aim at Welker with a social media post deriding her as the “Unpopular ‘Hostess’ of Meet the Fake Press,” accused her of “purposeful inaccuracy” and warned that she would “be reported to the FCC for rebuke or punishment”.
> The post also said that Trump hoped his appointed FCC chair Brendan Carr – and Carr’s colleagues on the commission – “take this Threat to our Country very seriously”.
So, according to Trump, the phrase, "He's had some mixed results," is a threat to our country. /s
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/30/trump-nbc-kristen-welker-fcc
Re: (Score:2)
> To be fair, Trump is pretty capricious and vindictive when people simply don't bend to his whims.
It's mostly when they publicly don't bend to his whims.
They need to be more non-committal about whether they will bend to his whims, delay as much as possible, make excuses when they haven't done what he asked yet , and stay out of the press as much as possible. Maybe even brown nose him when he calls so he forgets what he's calling about.
You know, do the same things a grifter does.
Re: Totally reasonable (Score:4, Insightful)
Names that have developed naturally vs. renaming for childish political reasons
Re: (Score:2)
Bingo, there was nothing wrong with the names which have a long historical basis. To have to rename them in this manner is just sweaty desperation, it reeks of insecurity which explains MAGA's obsession with "masculinity".
To further that point the thing with the names OP posts is that those cultures have much longer timelines than the US and a lot of those probably predate the idea of shared cartography even. Has the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Ontario ever been referred to differently by the USA?
Re: Totally reasonable (Score:2)
Isn't MAGAs version of masculinity a spoiled toddler? That's how I took it.
Re: (Score:2)
Canada told him to fuck off when the last minute tariff negotiations called for Canada to give up new trade partners.
Re: (Score:2)
What is "right" in this case is subjective. No one in the U.S. government, not even the wannabe dicktater, can compel a private company to rename a body of water within their product because executive orders only apply to the federal departments of the executive branch. And most people in the U.S. don't want it to be renamed. Therefore, if the people don't want it and the president can't enforce it, then there's an argument to be made that the "right" thing to do is completely ignore Trump. However, as
Re: (Score:2)
Trust me, I'm no fan of what Trump has done here. (I'm a Canadian living in the USA.) But I understand why Google has gone along with this. They're deferring to the de facto local authority on hydronyms, which unfortunately is the current administration -- not the American people, most of whom don't want it.
I expect this will all be undone quickly when someone else is in the White House. Possibly even if s/he's a Republican.
Re: (Score:2)
I do love how the standard defenses for things Trump does now are either "well at least he's doing something" even while the thing is bad and "well technically he's legally allowed to do it" even while it's the obvious most crooked shit.
There's no on the merits argument to be made so none of them will.
Re: Totally reasonable (Score:2)
True. Google just follows the US standard in the US. What does stink is that they added "golf van Amerika" between brackets beneath "golf van Mexico" in my local version. That is pushing US propaganda. If they want to stay neutral, they will need a lot of brackets for the North Sea...
Re: (Score:2)
Nowhere in the Constitution does it grant the president the authority to rename bodies of water by executive order. And constitutionality questions aside, this will likely be overturned; it's only a question of whether it happens now or in the first week of the next Congress.
Compounding that is the racism problem. The name Ontario is a Native American word that means "Great Lake". So not only is our president (illegally) renaming the great lake of the Great Lakes, which is bordering on idiotic on the su
Re: (Score:2)
> Compounding that is the racism problem. The name Ontario is a Native American word that means "Great Lake". So not only is our president (illegally) renaming the great lake of the Great Lakes, which is bordering on idiotic on the surface, but he is also replacing a word that has meaning to the cultural heritage of Native Americans with the name of a dead white guy from Europe. You can't get much more offensive and flagrantly racist than that.
Was this intended as flamebait or were you being serious?
Re: (Score:2)
I’m pretty sure more is involved besides the king scribbling a decree. Executive Orders are not instantaneous laws.
Re: (Score:2)
The Gulf of America Act didn't make it through the Senate. It was never codified into law, and the name will be reverted by executive order on or around January 20, 2029 unless the next Congress has enough of a Democrat majority in the house to formally reverse it sooner.
Re: (Score:2)
> Why should "Lake Ontario / Lake America" (or the previous "Gulf of Mexico / Gulf of America", where the latter is objectively a descriptive name) be any different?
America comprises two entire continents spanning over 30 countries. How is naming a random lake 'Lake America' and the golf of Mexico 'Golf of America' descriptive of anything?
Map makers who are pushovers and refuse to ever exert the power they have don't deserve to be trusted by anyone.
Re: Totally reasonable (Score:2)
Google Maps has a very firm policy of only following the ground truth, not trying to influence anything. No, they will not reroute people away from your street unless you do the legal legwork to put up "not a thru street" signs first, etc.
Will Canadian users now... (Score:2)
... see the US as the "Ass of Canada"?
[1]https://www.der-postillon.com/... [der-postillon.com]
[1] https://www.der-postillon.com/2026/08/aoc.html
Re: (Score:2)
There's nothing improper about geographical features having different names in different countries and this being represented on the map. There is something improper about defining the "USA" name according to the whims of a petulant child. The should probably have some minimum duration of common usage or something like that.
Re: There's nothing improper about this (Score:2)
Trump calls the USA "America". US citizens call the country "America", and themselves "Americans". The name is very definitely named for the USA. He could have used the neutral "Americas" (plural) for both the lake and the Gulf, but intentionally didn't because the singular is only used to refer to the USA.
It maybe just me ... (Score:1)
... but doing that just for the US seems to me the most cowardly of the options: have the courage to oppose Trump and all his works or have the courage to back him because you think he's doing right. This way the people at Google come-out as rather mealy-mouthed.
Re: It maybe just me ... (Score:2)
It's only "Lake America" in the USA, though. To the rest of the world is still Lake Ontario, and will remain so. The same as the Gulf of Mexico. So Google only renamed it for the USA because that's the only country in the world they uses that name.
Only visible in the White House (Score:2)
...would have been enough.
Something i wish Carney would do (Score:3)
...but he wouild never, is to rename one of the islands in Lake ONTARIO to Epstein Island and forcibly relocate the US Embassy there.
When Trump pulls shit like this (Score:2)
When Trump pulls shit like this, is it because polling has shown that it appeals to potential voters ?
Or because he's totally demented and doesn't care ?
Re: (Score:3)
I guess, it's the first one. It's the strong man he is posing at. "We'll take your precious Lake Ontario as punishment!" And many of his voters like the strong man punching holes in the walls the establishment has erected - even if it is only an established name. And his voters like symbol politics, so he gives them symbolism.
Re: (Score:3)
I think part of it is petulance from the failure of trade negotiations with Canada.
But I propose option 3: it's a distraction. Everyone's talking about this instead of the Iran war, high prices, his family's enrichment, and oh yes, the Epstein files.
I kind of miss the other distractions, (the ballroom, the compensation fund, the reflecting pool...)
Re: (Score:2)
It's because he's a twelve year old child living in an adult body. And so are the 77 millions shitstains who voted for him twice and are still supporting and defending him to this day.
A twelve year old child with the nuclear codes.
Of all the potential and perfectly valid candidates for the republican presidency, they had to chose this miserable child-raping sack of pus.
Re: (Score:2)
It is because Trump going to get another new cycle not talking about how badly war with Iran is going.
Re: (Score:2)
He does it because nobody in the cult has enough balls to tell him no.
Canada should do something creative (Score:3)
They can rename things to.
Like rename a great lake:
Lake E Jean Caroll
Re: (Score:2)
My personal favorite is the Trump Epstein Friendship Pond.
Re: (Score:2)
[1]They are renaming Trump Street [www.cbc.ca].
[1] https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/time-rename-trump-avenue-councillor-9.7321434
Change your locale (Score:2)
Go to your [1]Google settings page [google.com] and change your locale to "Canada".
Problem solved, for now. I just have to remember to undo this when this clusterf**k is over.
[1] https://www.google.com/preferences?hl=en-CA&lang=1&prev=https://www.google.com/preferences?hl%3Den-CA
Narrow it down even more (Score:2)
Make it so it ONLY says lake America on Trumps phone, as soon as that gangster pedo is out of office all his assclowning will be reversed
Google good at bootlicking (Score:2)
It's still Lake Ontario. Google can go fuck themselves for being such knaves.
TRUMP...here is a name change (Score:2)
Canada, please put this on on some Jails that hold sex offenders
Trapped
Rich
US
Male
Pedopholes
Call them "The Trump Wing , bought to you by Epstein"
Lake Trump (Score:2)
I think the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant should be renamed Lake Trump, as the largest pile of shit in the US.
Ontario is native american, not Canadian (Score:3)
The Canadian province is named after the lake, not the other way around.
Because the name pre-dates both countries:
[1]https://ictnews.org/news/trump... [ictnews.org]
[1] https://ictnews.org/news/trump-calls-for-renaming-lake-ontario-to-lake-america/
Re: (Score:2)
yeah, the Iroquois held most of the land of present day New York State and inhabitable parts of Ontario and Quebec provinces.
It means "Great Lake" in their language - the one their nation surrounded.
However, let's not be trolled by Trump and Google who are both fighting a losing war for foreign interests and want us distracted from $7 diesel.
I just went shopping and the $30 can of shellac primer I usually get is $95 now. Imported ingredients.
Why does Google do this for people outside the US? (Score:2)
We don't need to see the American name, we all know the real name already.
Just curious though: do people outside the UK see the French name for the English Channel?
Trump complains other countries don't respect America enough, but then he does this shit, which just attracts derision and disrespect. He'll be dead in not many years, but we'll still be laughing at the US for electing him.
SHAME (Score:2)
Oh no I just realized, the Great Lakes HOMES acronym is now SHAME
Superior
Huron
America
Michigan
Erie
Trump has (Score:2)
made a [1]HAMES [google.com] of HOMES.
[1] https://www.google.com/search?q=make+a+hames+of
Why show both to the rest of the world? (Score:2)
I get it that they don't want to antagonize their dear leader, but why does the rest of the world have to see this, even in brackets? It's not like they do that with other places that have multiple names.
Should Europe and Australia (Score:2)
preempt Trump and rename the oceans to "The European Ocean" and "The Australian Ocean". :-D
I blame the moderators! (Score:2)
There must be some funny around here somewhere. I've already seen some worthy stuff, but...
Haha Everything Sucks Now (Score:2)
Glad I got to spend most of my life when it didn't.
Different world (Score:1)
Enjoy living in a different world than the rest of us, Americans.
Trump has the intellect of a toddler (Score:5, Insightful)
American maps should have Lake Ontario crossed out and Lake America scribbled over it in crayon.
Re: Trump has the intellect of a toddler (Score:2)
... and misspelled.
Re: (Score:2)
> ... and misspelled.
Needs a k.
Re: (Score:2)
> Needs a k.
Or 3.
Re: (Score:2)
Lake Onfefve.
Re: (Score:2)
> American maps should have Lake Ontario crossed out and Lake America scribbled over it in crayon.
Or black Sharpie, like our Toddler in Chief likes to use. /s
Re: (Score:2)
>> American maps should have Lake Ontario crossed out and Lake America scribbled over it in crayon.
> Or black Sharpie, like our Toddler in Chief likes to use. /s
[1]Already happened. [facebook.com]
[1] https://www.facebook.com/MoshehNews/videos/trump-takes-sharpie-to-map-renames-lake-ontario-lake-america/2593980704352385/
Re: (Score:2)
Cross it out with a sharpie instead. Because Sharipe gave trump something that it's in almost real gold, and it can even do his signature. And they gave it to him for nothing, even though the president of the states wanted to pay for it.
Source: [1]https://www.youtube.com/live/b... [youtube.com]
Plus, those sharpies have the power to deflect hurricanes when they're used on a weather map.
[1] https://www.youtube.com/live/bISHW3zGJ-Q?t=3176s
Re: (Score:2)
Another reason children should not be given permanent markers.
Re: (Score:2)
Nor the nuclear codes...
Re: (Score:2)
At this point I'll trust any 5 year old with those codes than I trust Trump, no offence to 4 year oldsbut let kids be kids without thst kind of responsibility for at least a few yers
Lake Epstein (Score:1)
Correct name : Lake Epstein
Toddlers are intellectual. (Score:2)
Quoting: "Trump has the intellect of a toddler."
Toddlers like it if you help them understand.
Re: (Score:2)
The intellect of toddlers improves as time passes. Trump's appears to be going in the opposite direction.
Re: (Score:2)
Or go back to the origin of the name "America" and label it "Lago di Amerigo Vespucci", tell Trump that he's renamed the lake after an Italian, and see how long it takes him to have another tantrum and rename it again.
Re: (Score:2)
> Enjoy living in a different world than the rest of us, Americans.
And, as an American, I say to MAGA folks, "Enjoy living in a different world than the rest of us Americans."
Re: Different world (Score:2)
That's an insult to Canadians.
We're not enjoying it (Score:1, Insightful)
About 7 million Americans were prevented from voting in 2024 by common voter suppression tactics like illegal challenges to voter registrations and multi-hour wait times to vote in blue leaning districts. If you're not sure what blue it means it refers to the color of our Center left party the Democrats.
Without that voter suppression Donald Trump would not be president and the Republican party would be a minority party. If you mix in the effects of gerrymandering and how it benefits the Republican party
Re: (Score:2)
It would be one thing if the current administration would have been...you know, even *somewhat* competent. However, when they have in two years managed to do so much harm to American voter even in red states, something might just happen in midterms.
If they had just done all the things with a bit slower pace, things might be much different. You know, just push the tariffs in in a bit more phased rollout instead of tariffing some penguins. Actually planning the action in Iran properly. Being a little less dra
Re: We're not enjoying it (Score:2)
He has solved that now. All the American oil companies are going to build venesualian infrastructure for them.