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MapQuest scores major App Store surge after Lake Ontario stance
Fox Business • • nation
Key Points:
- MapQuest surged to the top of Apple's App Store navigation rankings after deciding to retain the historical name "Lake Ontario" on its maps, rejecting the U.S. government's renaming to "Lake America."
- The app experienced a 50-fold increase in usage and became the No. 1 navigation app and No. 8 free app overall in the U.S., as well as No. 2 among free apps in Canada.
- This move followed President Trump's executive order to rename Lake Ontario "Lake America," a change adopted by Google Maps and Apple Maps for U.S. users.
- MapQuest also enhanced a feature allowing users to rename Lake Ontario themselves, continuing a similar approach used for the Gulf of Mexico renaming controversy.
- Public relations experts noted MapQuest capitalized on a cultural moment to revive its brand but cautioned companies to be careful when engaging in politically charged issues.
