Google apologises after racist slur appears in BAFTA news push notification: Here’s what happened

Google has issued an apology after a news push notification referencing the BAFTA Awards included a racial slur. The alert, which was sent through the Google News app, prompted users to “see more” about the incident, but the wording used in the notification sparked criticism online. Also Read: Pixel and Samsung users report Android Auto connection problems

According to a statement given to the BBC, a Google spokesperson said the company was “deeply sorry for this mistake” and confirmed that the notification had been removed. Also Read: This Google feature lets you check suspicious tax messages in seconds

What triggered the alert

The controversy traces back to the 2026 EE BAFTA Film Awards held in London. During the ceremony, an audience member with Tourette’s syndrome involuntarily shouted a racial slur while actors Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage presenting an award. Also Read: India to train 15000 creators in AI: Collaboration with Google and YouTube

Several news outlets reported on the incident, and the term appeared in multiple online articles covering the fallout. Google said its system picked up the word after it appeared in several news reports about the incident, and it ended up being included in the push notification automatically.

However, the way the alert was phrased led to backlash. Social media users criticised the wording and questioned how such language passed through moderation filters.

Not an AI issue, says Google

Some users speculated that generative AI may have been responsible for drafting the alert. Google, however, clarified that this was not the case. The company said the issue was linked to a failure in its safety systems for push notifications.

According to Google, its content tools identified the slur across various reports and used it to characterise the story in the alert. The company acknowledged that this should not have happened and said it is working to strengthen its safety checks to prevent similar incidents.

Google also said that only a small number of users received the notification before it was removed.

Wider apologies around the incident

The incident at the BAFTAs led to multiple responses. The BBC, which aired the ceremony, apologised after the slur was not edited out of its delayed broadcast. BAFTA also issued a statement taking responsibility and apologised to those affected.

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Google News remains one of the most widely used news apps in the US, and the company said it is reviewing its safeguards following the incident.