Skip to main content

Google executive vows to do better after racists results appear in Google Maps

google deeply upset by racist map searches results and labels googlemaps whitehouse
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Following the PR nightmare of the racist Google Maps search for “n—- house” that landed users at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Google has issued an official apology. A blog post by vice president of Engineering and Product Management Jen Fitzpatrick begins, “This week, we had some problems with Google Maps, which was displaying results for certain offensive search queries. Like many of you, we were deeply upset by this issue, and we are fixing it now. We apologize this has taken some time to resolve, and want to share more about what we are doing to correct the problem.”

Fitzpatrick went on to explain Google’s ranking system builds a tie between locations and terms mentioned alongside them in online discussions, which is how this problem occurred. (the implications of which are disturbing in and of themselves). “But this week,” Fitzpatrick noted, “we heard about a failure in our system—loud and clear.”

So while it’s really improper user etiquette and general ignorance that led to the major faux pas, Google has assured its users that it is taking all necessary steps to ensure that nothing of the sort ever happens again. Fitzpatrick wrote, “Our team has been working hard to fix this issue. Building upon a key algorithmic change we developed for Google Search, we’ve started to update our ranking system to address the majority of these searches—this will gradually roll out globally and we’ll continue to refine our systems over time.”

Maps has run into quite a few problems in the last few months, including the appearance of an Android urinating on the Apple mascot in a map of Pakistan, due to its previously lax editing policy that allowed users to make changes at will. The feature was quickly disabled after the initial discovery, and has yet to be reactivated. But despite these missteps, Fitzpatrick vowed, “we will do better in the future.”

Editors' Recommendations

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Google Maps reminds you to wear a mask in new update
man checking phone with mask on

If you’re looking for a restaurant or coffee shop to go to, Google Maps now reminds you to wear your mask before leaving your house.

A new banner that says, “Wear a Mask. Save Lives.” now appears on your Maps’ “Explore” tab if you're using an Android phone. 

Read more
Google Maps, Bing Maps add marker for Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington D.C.
Google Maps Adds Marker for Black Lives Plaza

Google Maps and Bing Maps have added a marker for the "Black Lives Matter Plaza" in Washington D.C., after a section of the street directly in front of the White House was officially renamed by the city's mayor and painted with the protest slogan.

Social unrest has swept through the U.S. over the past couple of weeks, triggered by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis by city police officers. Washington, D.C., has seen its own protests with thousands in attendance.

Read more
How Google Maps put turn-by-turn navigation in your pocket
google maps changed history 15th anniversary 3 of 6

It’s hard to believe Google Maps is turning 15 years old. Through that span, we’ve witnessed its humble beginning on the desktop, eventually evolving to mobile, where it became became the dominant player in navigation. It wasn't long ago that everyone relied on dedicated in-car GPS units for navigation or, in a pinch, printed out directions on paper (the horror!).
GPS navigation rose, then fell
October 28, 2009 is the day Google Maps changed the world. Throughout the early and mid-2000s, portable GPS navigation units were a staple in cars, providing drivers precise turn-by-turn navigation they could glance at while driving.

A total 33.9 million GPS navigation units were sold during the 2007 holiday season, triple the 11.9 million figure sold over the same period in 2006. Even more telling, the adoption rate was as high as 10 percent among U.S. drivers in 2007, and an even higher 20 percent for Europeans. Garmin, the market leader at the time, reported strong revenue growth each year from 2005 to 2008, reaching record revenue of $3.34 billion in 2008.

Read more