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WF-M5I60B

Google's algorithm blurs protest graffiti on Hong Kong Street View

Google Street View's automatic blurring technology obscured two protest graffiti messages on Nathan Road in Hong Kong, including one calling for the death of Xi Jinping and another calling for liberation. Google said the blurring was an unintended algorithmic error, not deliberate censorship, and the messages remained partly visible from certain angles. The company acknowledged the flaw but did not indicate whether it would correct the images.

Date it happened
2019-01-01
Organisation involved
Google
Product, system or model
Google Street View
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