Google has issued an apology following a controversial Google News push alert related to this year’s BAFTA Awards 2026, which prompted users to “see more” using a racial slur. The notification sparked outrage online and drew criticism for its insensitive content.
The alert stemmed from coverage of an incident during the ceremony where an audience member with Tourette’s syndrome involuntarily uttered the slur while actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage. Google confirmed that the wording in the push notification was not generated by AI but was the result of a breakdown in its safety protections for push alerts.
A Google spokesperson said the company acted swiftly after the alert surfaced. “We’re deeply sorry for this mistake. We’ve removed the offensive notification and are working to prevent this from happening again,” the spokesperson stated. Google explained that its content systems had detected the slur appearing repeatedly in online coverage of the incident and mistakenly used it to describe the topic in the alert.
The tech giant acknowledged that the alert should never have reached users and said it is now improving “safety triggers” and other guardrails designed to block hateful or offensive language in notifications. Google noted that only a small number of users saw the alert, but its impact was amplified due to Google News’ large audience, particularly in the United States.
The controversy gained wider attention after online creator Danny Price posted screenshots on Instagram, criticizing the timing of the alert during Black History Month. The incident also prompted apologies from those associated with the awards ceremony, as the slur had briefly appeared in some live and broadcast versions of the event.
The episode has raised concerns about the safeguards in news alerts and highlighted the challenges of moderating automated content across global platforms. Google reaffirmed its commitment to preventing similar errors in the future.
Also read: Google Pixel Update: Troubles After Latest Google Update
