Google Maps has updated its labeling to include “Lake America,” a change that U.S. President Donald Trump is urging Apple to replicate on all iPhones. This situation underscores the dominance of American tech platforms in Canada, leaving consumers and businesses with limited non-American options.
According to Anne Pasek, a Canada Research Chair at Trent University, Canadians heavily rely on American tech giants, subjecting their digital lives and associated activities to U.S. laws and regulations.
Recently, several Canadian websites, including federal government sites and major banks, displayed maps showing Lake Ontario as Lake America. This adjustment came after Trump’s executive order to rename the Great Lake amid escalating trade tensions between the U.S. and Canada.
Google implemented the change for U.S. users, offering non-American websites the option to display “Lake Ontario” by customizing their maps for Canada. The company explained that this action aligns with their policy for bodies of water with differing names across countries.
Despite providing essential services like directions and business information, mapping tools from American tech companies have become deeply integrated into Canadian operations. This dependency poses challenges for Canadian businesses looking for alternative solutions.
Emily Osborne, a policy research associate at the Canadian Shield Institute, highlighted the reliance on American tech firms like Google and Apple for digital services. She suggested Dutch companies TomTom and HERE Technologies as potential substitutes for navigation services. However, the acquisition of Toronto-based Avenza Systems by a U.S. company raises concerns about Canada’s vulnerability to tech-related pressure tactics.
Osborne warned that potential disruptions in services like payment processing and cloud storage could severely impact Canadian businesses that rely on U.S.-owned infrastructure. The recent AWS outage serves as a cautionary example of the risks associated with this dependency, especially if access is restricted by government intervention.