Google apologises for Michelle image

INTERNET search giant Google has apologised for a racially offensive image of Michelle Obama that appears when users seek pictures of America’s first lady on its site.

Google placed a text ad above the image titled, Offensive Search Results, that states: “Sometimes our search results can be offensive. We agree.”

Users who then click on the ad are directed to a letter from Google that explains its results “can include disturbing content, even from innocuous queries”, but notes that Google does not endorse content on these websites.

Later yesterday the image dropped from top image results, though it is thought that Google did not remove it. Google says its search formula relies on thousands of factors to rank a web page’s importance and says it does not eliminate search results simply because of user complaints.

However, it said it would take down images in certain cases, such as when required by law to do so.

“We apologise if you’ve had an upsetting experience using Google,” the company wrote.

California-based Google also posted about the issue in a user support forum.

Spokesman Scott Rubin would not elaborate on how the image ended up as the number-one result for Mrs Obama. He said the company did remove one site displaying the image from its results because it included viruses, which Google policy prohibits, but he said a different website later posted the same image.

The White House declined to comment.

Google issued a similar response in 2004 when the top result for the term “Jew” pointed to an anti-Semitic website.