“Lake America” labels are now visible on Google Maps, prompting U.S. President Donald Trump to urge Apple to do the same by default on all iPhones.
According to tech experts, the recent events underscore the dominance of U.S. tech giants in Canada, leaving limited options for non-American alternatives.
Anne Pasek, a Canada Research Chair at Trent University, emphasized that Canadian consumers and businesses operate under the influence of American tech monopolies, subjecting them to U.S. jurisdiction and laws.
Several Canadian websites, including government portals and major banks, have been found displaying maps with Lake Ontario renamed as Lake America.
This change follows an executive order from President Trump, instructing the renaming of Lake Ontario as part of ongoing trade tensions between the U.S. and Canada.
Google updated its maps for U.S. users, offering non-American websites the option to display “Lake Ontario” by setting their region to Canada and localizing the map accordingly.
The company explained that these adjustments align with their policy for bodies of water with differing names across countries.
U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated that President Trump reached out to Apple, requesting the change to “Lake America” on their apps, although Apple has not yet responded to inquiries.
In addition to providing navigation services, mapping tools from U.S. tech giants play a crucial role in the operations of numerous Canadian businesses, offering essential information and services.
Anne Pasek noted the monopoly situation, emphasizing the dependency of users on these platforms.
Could the U.S. target Canada through tech vulnerabilities?
Emily Osborne, a policy research associate at the Canadian Shield Institute, highlighted the reliance of Canada on American tech companies and suggested potential alternatives like TomTom and HERE Technologies.
Concerns arise over the vulnerability of Canadian businesses to tech-related pressures, such as payment processing and cloud storage, in the event of escalating tensions between the two nations.
Osborne emphasized the potential risks faced by Canadian businesses due to their dependence on U.S.-owned digital infrastructure, citing instances like the AWS outage that impacted numerous Canadian enterprises.
She also pointed out the lack of Canadian alternatives in crucial areas like credit card payments, where Canadian businesses heavily rely on Visa and MasterCard.