The search giant is apologizing for the racially offensive image of the Michelle Obama. The image appears on the number one list when people are searching for pictures of the First Lady
“We apologize if you’ve had an upsetting experience using Google,” the company wrote.
The image, which is still viewable, now has a text ad above it saying “”Offensive Search Results” and “Sometimes our search results can be offensive. We agree.” Those who click on the image will be directed to a letter from Google explaining that some results may include disturbing content but they do not endorse the content of these sites.
The company also tackled the issue on a user support forum. The reason why the image appears on top of the search results for the First Lady is however, still not clear.
According to the Mountain View, California-based company, it relies on thousands of factors to rank a Web page’s importance in its search formulas. The company doesn’t eliminate search results based solely on user complaints. They do however, take down images in certain cases.
The White House is choosing to keep mum on the subject. 😉
Source: http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20091125/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_google_search_apology
