The area of southern Lebanon on Apple Maps omits the name of most Lebanese villages [Apple Maps/ Screenshot]
Social media users have accused tech giant Apple of “complicity” in Israel’s ongoing invasion of Lebanon after claims spread that the company had removed the names of numerous villages in southern Lebanon from Apple Maps.
Users noted that the app displays no visible place names across much of southern Lebanon, apart from the city of Tyre, which has a population of around 200,000.
By contrast, nearby areas in northern Israel — including Nahariyya, Shelomi, and Beit Jan — as well as small Syrian villages along the border, are clearly labelled.
A post by independent journalist Ethan Levins highlighting the discrepancy went viral on X on Sunday, reaching over 11 million views in 24 hours and being reshared more than 78,000 times, sparking widespread outrage online.
Many users compared Apple Maps to alternative platforms like Google Maps, where Lebanese villages appear clearly marked. On Apple’s version, only certain businesses or restaurants are occasionally labelled, but not the village names themselves.
Mohamad Safa, a Lebanese diplomat and executive director of the Patriotic Vision NGO at the United Nations, warned that “systematically erasing names can be argued as a violation of the right to self-determination and cultural rights”, adding that such actions could amount to “evidence of genocidal intent”.
Safa also threatened legal action against Apple if the omission was found to be intentional, accusing the company of “digital ethnic cleansing”.
Israel has ordered hundreds of thousands of people in south Lebanon to leave their towns and villages, amid fears that it is planning to permanently cleanse the area of its population and even establish Israeli settlements.
However, contrary to online claims, multiple sources suggest the village names were never displayed on Apple Maps to begin with.
Journalist Carole Cadwalladr, citing company sources, said that Apple Maps has not historically included coverage for all regions.
Fact-checking outlet The Lawyard, based in Lebanon, also dismissed the claims circulating online, saying there was “no evidence of deliberate deletion”. It added that while “big tech companies can operate within political contexts, there is no proof this is a political decision”.
Apple has previously faced scrutiny over its operations in Israel, where it maintains its largest research and development hub outside the United States.
The New Arab has contacted Apple for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.
