Google Maps normally blurs people’s faces on Street View to protect their privacy. So far, so good. The thing is that, in Cambridge, England, the system took the job a little too seriously and ended up hiding the face of a cow that was peacefully near the River Cam.
The image went viral after a user shared it joking that Google really did care about cows’ privacy. And of course, it was impossible not to laugh: the poor thing was just grazing, unaware that it had ended up with a protected identity on the internet.
The case drew so much attention because the blur looked completely serious, as if the cow needed to stay out of the public eye or wanted to avoid trouble for appearing on Street View without authorization.
Google later explained that its automatic facial-blurring technology had gone a little overboard. The system is designed to detect human faces, but this time it got things mixed up and decided that cow also deserved anonymity.
The best part is that the company itself went along with the joke on social media, because the situation was too absurd to take seriously. In the end, if the cow wanted to live incognito, Google did its part.
And well… no one will be able to say they didn’t respect its bovine safety.