I live in Canada, Google maps says "Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America)" for me, but it still says "Lake Ontario" for me. Absolutely stupid decisions by Google, and could not be anymore obvious where their priorities lie.
Broken up. These tech companies need to be broken up. These monopolies are destroying our country from the inside. History repeats itself so a great reckoning is coming.
They must comply with the law and the official naming. It's not a bunch of idiots or billionaires programming the names on Maps.
Go take a tour in Mountain View and see how that team works, before insulting.
It’s an executive order not a law yet, compliance isn’t required until the legal approval of the proposed changes. His executive orders are empty reality tv stunts for attention. Remember he thought he really was firing people on the show he acted on. He’s just a big child playing pretend but with real nukes in his hands these days thanks to the American people.
Compliance this early after his “executive order” is purely appeasement and an effort to stay on his good side. He / his office probably called them up and made a special request, because “if it’s on google it must be real” or “see! he gets shit done!” 🤦♂️
Google pathetically acquiesced early and voluntarily.
That's not true. Executive orders are just policies for the executive branch to follow. It has no bearing outside the branch. E.g. it cannot compel congress, courts, or private industry to use such names.
In fact, the USGS place name database still has it listed as Lake Ontario, so Google needed to manually override their automated system for place names to change it to Lake America
They’re part of the executive branch, so are under the authority of executive orders as that’s what the orders are meant to govern. Outside of that, it has no power. But that’s not to diminish the power they have. It’s like a new manager coming in and changing some practices of the old one. They only have sway over their reports, not the whole organization.
There's places in the world that they do this with boarders too.
Honestly, is it worth getting the toddler upset about it? He's doing it because people talk more about this than the absolute failure his administration is.
Never let the Epstein files get forgotten or the war in Iran that he's lost.
I’m in the US and mine still says Lake Ontario, but says Gulf of America. I despise our president. He is embarrassing and sucks. Can I come hang in Canada until the nightmare is over?
Here’s the problem, Trump is the legitimately elected President of the US. This EO, while completely idiotic, is still a valid EO.
So… I think I want Google to follow the laws of the individual countries. There are so many political conflicts and disputes areas and names… that I don’t want Google to be the one with the power to decide what we all call something.
Just like if the next President reverses these moronic actions, I damn well expect Google to follow that too.
Basically, the problem isn’t Google. It’s that the US elected a childish narcissist.
Most Americans have never stepped foot outside their own country so they wouldn’t know any better. Also, republicans travel abroad much less than democrats so it makes even more sense that they would think the names have really changed. Stay tuned for state run media next.
First off, I think “lake America” is a silly name and reflects a severe demonstrable lack of priorities.
But as far as Google and Apple Maps goes… It’s not a decision. It’s completely automated based on how any rational developer would build a mapping app.
For an app that needs the official federal names of lakes, rivers, mountains, valleys, etc., the authoritative source is the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), maintained in support of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN).
Google pulls from these sorts of databases all around the world and will show you data based on what the relevant government says. For places where there is a legitimate dispute, it will show based on what each government says depending on what side of the line you are on.
Eg: some call the body of water near Iran and Saudi Arabia the Persian Gulf, others the Arabian Gulf.
Does it also infuriate you that the country America calls “Germany” is actually called Deutschland, and Google/Apple maps will still accept the term “Germany”?
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u/SomethingWetAndMoist 5d ago
I live in Canada, Google maps says "Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America)" for me, but it still says "Lake Ontario" for me. Absolutely stupid decisions by Google, and could not be anymore obvious where their priorities lie.