'Digital protest': Trump Towers renamed 'Dump Tower' on Google Maps
Google maps users noticed the name change Saturday; analyst calls it 'digital protest'
It was short-lived, but for a few hours this weekenda couple of buildings in Vancouver, B.C., and Manhattan, N.Y., had their names unofficially and derisively changed on Google Maps.
Google Maps users in Vancouver noticed someone had changed the name of the under-construction Trump Towerto"Dump International Hotel & Tower Vancouver."
Vancouver Trump Tower's name replaced with "Dump" on Google Maps for a few hours this weekend. pic.twitter.com/ypXzBzLRwk
—@KamilKaramali
In Manhattan, Trump Tower's central location on Fifth Avenue, which is also home to president-elect Donald Trump, also had its namechanged to"Dump Tower" on Google Maps. U.S. media outlets werereportinga secondlocation in New York, at Columbus Circle, was renamed as well.
By early Sunday morning, the names had been returnedto normal.
For a few hours, Trump Tower in New York City turned into "Dump Tower" on Google Maps https://t.co/bhc6ttSNEJ pic.twitter.com/tIFgvzQJAE
—@CNN
Digital protest
Trump's new towerin downtown Vancouver has drawn a lot of opposition over the past year, due to the business tycoon'scontroversial stances on various issues during his bid for presidency.
Many people, including Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, have publicly asked thatthe Trump name be removed from the building.
Vancouver-based political analystTodd Hauptman calls the Trump Towers' name changea "digital protest."
"It shows that people around the world and even at home here in Canada, we have verystrongfeelingsaboutthis president-elect," said Hauptman.
"I do believe it will get on his radar," added Hauptman. "I do think Donald Trump has such a thin skin, I would not be surprised if he tweets about it ... somewhere between two and three in the morning."
Hauptman says people can expect to see a variety of types of protests against the billionaire throughout his presidency.
"We'll continue to see people protest and this won't go away unless Donald Trump doesn't do what he says he's going to do."
In an email statement late Sunday night, Googleresponded to the name change incident.
"Some inappropriate names were surfacing in Google Maps that should not be, and we apologize for any offense this may have caused. Our teams immediately took action and have fixed the issue," wrote a Google spokesperson.
Meanwhile, the president-elect has not yet commented on the short-lived name change.