Apple changes map name following US presidential decree

Following an official directive from the US presidential administration, major tech giants continue to rename geographical objects on their maps. According to ixbt.com, Apple has followed Google's lead, officially renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America in its Apple Maps service. This change applies to users within the US and is drawing significant attention amid the political and economic relations between the countries. This is reported by Techcrunch.com reports .

It is noted that this change was implemented in response to an executive order signed by the US President. According to the document, the Department of the Interior was given a 30-day deadline to update the lake's name in the US Board on Geographic Names and other federal databases. The decree acknowledges the economic importance of this body of water and emphasizes the necessity of renaming it to Lake America.

Geographical approaches in map services

This change implemented in the Apple Maps app applies only to users in the US. While the previous name, Ontario, remains for users in Canada, users outside these two countries may see both names on the map. Google, for its part, explained that map names are updated in accordance with official government sources, including the Geographic Names Information System.

However, not all map services have followed this policy. MapQuest announced that it would retain the familiar, traditional name and would not change the name of Lake Ontario. It is worth noting that last year, following a similar decree, the Gulf of Mexico was renamed the Gulf of America, and MapQuest maintained its position at that time as well.

Competition and changes in app rankings

The compliance of tech giants with the government decree has led to the popularity of a competing map service. MapQuest app downloads surged, and it took the top spot in the US App Store charts. This result even allowed it to surpass the popular ChatGPT app.

MapQuest also achieved high rankings in the overall apps and games category on the Google Play Store. Company representatives commented ironically on the situation on the social network X, noting that the preference of users has prevailed in the rise of its popularity. Apple and Google have not provided further comments on the situation.