Apple map app adds Vietnam’s Paracel, Spratly islands

Le Quang Tu Do, head of the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information, said Monday that he has received Apple’s response regarding the addition of Vietnam’s Paracel and Spratly islands into its app.

"Apple has admitted their mistake and has corrected it per a request from the Authority," Do said.

On accessing the Apple Maps app, the islands would show up if users zoom in, he said.

Apple, however, has not commented on the change.

Vietnamese users had discovered recently that the Apple Maps app did not display the names of Vietnam’s Paracel and Spratly islands, and gave it a low, one star rating on the App Store.

"The developer should respect a nation’s territorial sovereignty and correct the error soon," said one app user named Kai Leo.

The maps of Meta, formerly known as Facebook, had also lacked Vietnam’s Paracel and Spratly islands in 2020. The company has since apologized for the mistake and corrected it.