MapQuest keeps Lake Ontario name after Trump order

MapQuest’s general manager, Doug Berger, visited Lake Ontario in Toronto after the company drew attention for refusing to adopt the name “Lake America” following a U.S. presidential order. He said the decision reflected MapQuest’s goal of preserving familiar place names and keeping its maps consistent for users. The company had already faced a similar issue earlier this year when it kept the Gulf of Mexico name instead of changing it to Gulf of America. Berger said MapQuest viewed the Lake Ontario case as a political issue and chose not to follow the change. After the company posted that it was “not changing it,” MapQuest gained about 3 million new users and began selling branded merchandise tied to the moment. Berger said the attention also helped highlight the company’s role in mapping and led to user feedback about features such as local transit and Android Auto support.