Latest news with #BingMaps
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Google removing 'state' designation from Canadian government buildings. No word from Microsoft
Google says it is in the process of removing the "state" designation from Canadian government buildings, as well as provincial parks, following widespread backlash. On Monday, the company said it would be updating its categorization of provincial parks after receiving hundreds of complaints over the weekend from Canadians upset about the designation. Although the locations were titled "provincial park" in large text, in small print, many across the country were labelled as "state parks" — a longstanding practice, according to the company. However, that language came under increased scrutiny in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated threat that he wants to annex Canada against the wishes of Canada's political leaders and widespread public opinion. WATCH | Google Maps listings of Canadian 'state' parks predates Trump taunts: While the primary focus was on parks, a few observers noticed that some government buildings, including in B.C. and Nunavut, were also labelled as a state government office. Google moving fast. Bing, not so much A spokesperson for Google confirmed that these locations are being reviewed and updated as well. In fact, the categorization of buildings reviewed by CBC News had already been updated to "government office" within hours of receiving the response. Likewise, the majority of parks reviewed by CBC News that had previously been labelled as state parks have since been updated to be simply parks, while others already have the provincial park designation. A listing for Parliament House in B.C. as a state government office, as spied by a CBC News reader on Feb. 24. By Feb. 27, the listing had been updated to simply government office. (Google) Similar changes have not yet been made for parks in other countries such as Argentina and Russia where the state park categorization had been applied. Nor has any update been applied to Bing Maps, the service run by Microsoft, which also lists multiple Canadian provincial parks as state parks, or on the travel website TripAdvisor. Neither company has responded to inquiries from CBC News about whether they would be following Google's lead in updating the classification. Apple already uses the provincial park categorization in its mapping services. Google has started adding the provincial park categorization to many of its listings across Canada. (Google) Stefan Dollinger, an English professor at UBC, said at a time of increased nationalism, Canadians are taking a closer look at the U.S.-centric nature of many widely used technology products. "An American programmer assumes it's the same here, so why take the extra step to relabel that category," he said. WATCH | Ukrainians in Canada say Trump's rhetoric echoes Putin: That sentiment was also shared by technology analyst Carmi Levy, who told CBC News that he felt many people had been using apps like Google Maps on "autopilot," without necessarily paying attention to the details like the language being used in small print. "Now I think we realize that yeah, the name of a place really does have political implications whether we like it or not, and we owe it to ourselves to lean in a little bit," he said. "It's kind of long overdue. Google Maps has been around for over 20 years, but I'm pretty sure this the first time many of us have given this much of a thought." "It might seem like a bit of a tempest in a teacup, but it's probably a good thing in the long run."
CBC
28-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Google removing 'state' designation from Canadian government buildings. No word from Microsoft
Google says it is in the process of removing the "state" designation from Canadian government buildings, as well as provincial parks, following widespread backlash. On Monday, the company said it would be updating its categorization of provincial parks after receiving hundreds of complaints over the weekend from Canadians upset about the designation. Although the locations were titled "provincial park" in large text, in small print, many across the country were labelled as "state parks" — a longstanding practice, according to the company. However, that language came under increased scrutiny in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated threat that he wants to annex Canada against the wishes of Canada's political leaders and widespread public opinion. WATCH | Google Maps listings of Canadian 'state' parks predates Trump taunts: Google says it's updating Canadian parks listed as state parks in its search and maps 3 days ago Duration 2:02 Weekend social media was abuzz with Canadians wondering if Trump's talk of a 51st state was to blame after many provincial parks were discovered categorized as state parks on Google Maps. But as Liam Britten explains, the issue predates Trump's return to power. While the primary focus was on parks, a few observers noticed that some government buildings, including in B.C. and Nunavut, were also labelled as a state government office. Google moving fast. Bing, not so much A spokesperson for Google confirmed that these locations are being reviewed and updated as well. In fact, the categorization of buildings reviewed by CBC News had already been updated to "government office" within hours of receiving the response. Likewise, the majority of parks reviewed by CBC News that had previously been labelled as state parks have since been updated to be simply parks, while others already have the provincial park designation. Similar changes have not yet been made for parks in other countries such as Argentina and Russia where the state park categorization had been applied. Nor has any update been applied to Bing Maps, the service run by Microsoft, which also lists multiple Canadian provincial parks as state parks, or on the travel website TripAdvisor. Neither company has responded to inquiries from CBC News about whether they would be following Google's lead in updating the classification. Apple already uses the provincial park categorization in its mapping services. Stefan Dollinger, an English professor at UBC, said at a time of increased nationalism, Canadians are taking a closer look at the U.S.-centric nature of many widely used technology products. "An American programmer assumes it's the same here, so why take the extra step to relabel that category," he said. WATCH | Ukrainians in Canada say Trump's rhetoric echoes Putin: It used to be a joke in Ukraine, too. Katarina Gavrilyuk says the idea that Russia would invade her country wasn't taken seriously — until it happened. Now, on the third anniversary of the war, she and other Ukrainians living in St. John's say President Trump's talk of making Canada the 51st state feels all too familiar. That sentiment was also shared by technology analyst Carmi Levy, who told CBC News that he felt many people had been using apps like Google Maps on "autopilot," without necessarily paying attention to the details like the language being used in small print. "Now I think we realize that yeah, the name of a place really does have political implications whether we like it or not, and we owe it to ourselves to lean in a little bit," he said. "It's kind of long overdue. Google Maps has been around for over 20 years, but I'm pretty sure this the first time many of us have given this much of a thought."
USA Today
22-02-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Don't like the Gulf of America? MapQuest is allowing users to rename it
Don't like the Gulf of America? MapQuest is allowing users to rename it Show Caption Hide Caption 'Gulf of Mexico' is now 'Gulf of America' for US Google Maps users Google Maps changed the 'Gulf of Mexico' name once it was officially updated in the U.S. Geographic Names System. If you're not a fan of the recently renamed Gulf of America, you can call it whatever you want courtesy of MapQuest. The online navigation company appears to be poking fun at President Donald Trump's executive order to rebrand the body of water bordering the nation's southern coast. Trump's decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico has been met with mixed results. While some U.S. citizens who live in places like Florida have gladly welcomed the name change, others appear irked. Among those unhappy with the rebranding? Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who threatened legal action against Google again this week after the tech company changed the Gulf of Mexico's name for Google Maps users in the United States. Apple maps and Bing Maps have also changed the name to Gulf of America on their apps. Here's what to know about the recent switch and the names some people have given it using a new site by MapQuest. \'Name your own Gulf,\' says MapQuest MapQuest announced last week on X the company "still hadn't figured out" how to update its maps, but would allow users to rebrand the Gulf of Mexico on the website After giving the gulf a new designation, its title will appear over the water of a map that users can download or share on social media — the image does not change MapQuest's official map display. Social media users on BlueSky appear to be venting their frustrations about the Gulf of America by creating maps with names like the "Gulf of Fragile Masculinity," the "Gulf of Greenland," and the "Gulf of $7 Eggs." Why did Google change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America? In a statement posted to X, Google said it updated its maps application to the Gulf of America as part of a long-standing practice of adhering to official government names. The Geographic Names Information System, which is part of the United States Geological Survey, supplies the designated names used in Google Maps. The gulf name will appear differently for people in other countries, the tech company explained, saying: "When official names vary between countries, Maps users see their official local name. Everyone in the rest of the world sees both names.' Story continues after photo gallery. MapQuest retains Gulf of Mexico name Map applications on Apple and Bing have since followed Google's lead. MapQuest, however, isn't among them. The navigation company has retained the Gulf of Mexico name, it joked, not as a political statement but because the company doesn't remember how to change it. "MapQuest is NOT renaming the Gulf of Mexico — not because of politics but because we haven't updated our maps in like 15 years and don't remember how to do it," the company posted last month. What social media users on MapQuest are calling the \'Gulf of America\' "Gulf of Fragile Masculinity" "Gulf of Salt Water" "Gulf of Greenland" "Gulf of $7 Eggs" "Gulf of Cuba" "Gulf of Mediocre White Men Ruining My Life" "Gulf of Jimmy Buffett" "Gulf of Lower Canada" "Gulf of Where America's dignity died" "Gulf of Eggs which broke Democracy" "Gulf of American Entitlement" "Gulf of Stupidity" "Gulf of Gulf of Freaking Mexico" "Gulf of Screaming Into The Void" "Gulf of I could do this all day" "Gulf of Alternate Reality" "Gulf of This Executive Order Could Have Been An Email" "Gulf of Dumbest Timeline" "Gulf of All the Americas. Canada, come on in, the water is warm." "Gulf of Incalculable Horrors" "Gulf of Can I swim to Norway from here?" What is MapQuest? Is it free to use? MapQuest is a free online mapping and navigation service launched in 1996, making it one of the earliest such commercial mapping services of its time. Before the advent of voice navigation software in vehicles, users could enter a destination into MapQuest and receive step-by-step directions that could be printed out for use while traveling. The MapQuest app is available for Apple iPhone and Google Android users.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Don't like the Gulf of America? MapQuest is allowing users to rename it
USA TODAY and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article. Pricing and availability subject to change. If you're not a fan of the recently renamed Gulf of America, you can call it whatever you want courtesy of MapQuest. The online navigation company appears to be poking fun at President Donald Trump's executive order to rebrand the body of water bordering the nation's southern coast. Trump's decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico has been met with mixed results. While some U.S. citizens who live in places like Florida have gladly welcomed the name change, others appear irked. Among those unhappy with the rebranding? Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who threatened legal action against Google again this week after the tech company changed the Gulf of Mexico's name for Google Maps users in the United States. Apple maps and Bing Maps have also changed the name to Gulf of America on their apps. Here's what to know about the recent switch and the names some people have given it using a new site by MapQuest. MapQuest announced last week on X the company "still hadn't figured out" how to update its maps, but would allow users to rebrand the Gulf of Mexico on the website After giving the gulf a new designation, its title will appear over the water of a map that users can download or share on social media — the image does not change MapQuest's official map display. Social media users on BlueSky appear to be venting their frustrations about the Gulf of America by creating maps with names like the "Gulf of Fragile Masculinity," the "Gulf of Greenland," and the "Gulf of $7 Eggs." In a statement posted to X, Google said it updated its maps application to the Gulf of America as part of a long-standing practice of adhering to official government names. The Geographic Names Information System, which is part of the United States Geological Survey, supplies the designated names used in Google Maps. The gulf name will appear differently for people in other countries, the tech company explained, saying: "When official names vary between countries, Maps users see their official local name. Everyone in the rest of the world sees both names.' Story continues after photo gallery. Map applications on Apple and Bing have since followed Google's lead. MapQuest, however, isn't among them. The navigation company has retained the Gulf of Mexico name, it joked, not as a political statement but because the company doesn't remember how to change it. "MapQuest is NOT renaming the Gulf of Mexico — not because of politics but because we haven't updated our maps in like 15 years and don't remember how to do it," the company posted last month. fyi MapQuest is NOT renaming the Gulf of Mexico — not because of politics but because we haven't updated our maps in like 15 years and don't remember how to do it — MapQuest (@MapQuest) January 29, 2025 "Gulf of Fragile Masculinity" "Gulf of Salt Water" "Gulf of Greenland" "Gulf of $7 Eggs" "Gulf of Cuba" "Gulf of Mediocre White Men Ruining My Life" "Gulf of Jimmy Buffett" "Gulf of Lower Canada" "Gulf of Where America's dignity died" "Gulf of Eggs which broke Democracy" "Gulf of American Entitlement" "Gulf of Stupidity" "Gulf of Gulf of Freaking Mexico" "Gulf of Screaming Into The Void" "Gulf of I could do this all day" "Gulf of Alternate Reality" "Gulf of This Executive Order Could Have Been An Email" "Gulf of Dumbest Timeline" "Gulf of All the Americas. Canada, come on in, the water is warm." "Gulf of Incalculable Horrors" "Gulf of Can I swim to Norway from here?" MapQuest is a free online mapping and navigation service launched in 1996, making it one of the earliest such commercial mapping services of its time. Before the advent of voice navigation software in vehicles, users could enter a destination into MapQuest and receive step-by-step directions that could be printed out for use while traveling. The MapQuest app is available for Apple iPhone and Google Android users. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: MapQuest is letting users rename the Gulf of America. Here's how
The Hill
21-02-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Google faces heat
The company's decision to follow Trump's order on Google Maps quickly sparked backlash from Mexico, where leaders are now threatening legal action against the company. While this is not the first time since Google faced disputes over its geographical name changes, experts say this opens a Pandora's box of questions about how major tech companies help shape global narratives. 'Google, along with the other major platforms, wield enormous influence in how people perceive geography, history and political realities,' said Tobias Feakin, Australia's former inaugural ambassador for cyber affairs and critical technology. 'What appears on a map isn't just data, it shapes global narratives. When Google changes a name, it effectively validates a political stance, even if unintentionally,' he continued. Shortly after Trump's executive order to rename the body of water, the U.S. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) made the change official, prompting Google Maps to follow suit for U.S. users. Apple Maps and Bing Maps also updated their systems to align with the change. Google maintains it has a long-standing practice of applying name changes when they are updated in official government sources, as the GNIS did. In a case where official names vary between nations, users will see their official local names, according to Google's policy. Quickly resisting the change, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has threatened to file suit against Google, arguing Trump's executive order renaming the Gulf applied only to the area of the continental shelf under U.S. control. The backlash against Google comes as technology companies continue to become more influential in broader society. With this growing power comes a larger role in geopolitics, or the ways geography impacts politics and foreign relations. 'Tech companies are no longer just participants in geopolitics, they are shaping it,' said Feakin, whose research examines geopolitics and its intersection with advanced and emerging technologies.
