Google is removing the "state" designation from Canadian government buildings and provincial parks following widespread complaints from Canadians. The company confirmed Monday that it had received hundreds of reports over the weekend regarding the mislabeling, which came under scrutiny amid recent comments by former U.S. President Donald Trump about annexing Canada, reports CBC.
While the term "provincial park" appeared prominently on Google Maps, smaller text labeled many locations as "state parks"—a practice Google says had been in place for years. Some government buildings, including in British Columbia and Nunavut, were also tagged as "state government offices."
A Google spokesperson said the company acted quickly to correct the issue, with updates already visible on many reviewed locations. Similar corrections have yet to be made in other countries where "state park" had been used, such as Argentina and Russia.
Microsoft’s Bing Maps faced the same issue and announced Friday that it would also update its categorization. Meanwhile, Apple’s mapping service had already been using "provincial park" as the default label.
The controversy highlights growing concerns over U.S. influence in digital platforms. UBC professor Stefan Dollinger pointed out that many widely used tech products default to American terminology, while technology analyst Carmi Levy noted that Canadians are now paying closer attention to the language used in mapping apps.
"This might seem like a small issue, but it speaks to a broader need for accuracy and recognition of national identity in technology," Levy said.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
