Google Apologizes for Racial Slur in BAFTA Awards Notification

The offensive push alert was not generated by AI, but by human error in the company's systems.

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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Google has apologized for sending a push notification about the BAFTA Film Awards controversy that included the N-word. The company initially blamed the incident on an AI error, but has since clarified that the slur was not generated by artificial intelligence. Instead, Google says its systems recognized a euphemism for the offensive term on several web pages and accidentally applied it to the notification text, a failure of its safety filters.

Why it matters

This incident highlights ongoing issues with racial bias and lack of accountability in tech companies' content moderation and notification systems. While Google claims the offensive language reached only a 'very small subset' of users, the fact that it occurred at all raises questions about the company's commitment to addressing anti-Black racism and the real-world harm that can result from these types of errors.

The details

The push notification was related to coverage of the BAFTA awards ceremony, during which actor John Davidson, who has Tourette syndrome, involuntarily shouted the N-word while presenting an award with Michael B. Jordan. The BAFTA broadcast did not edit out the slur, despite a request from the studio behind the documentary Davidson was nominated for. In the aftermath, there was debate on social media about whether Davidson's condition excused the use of the racial epithet, and whether Black people were being 'ableist' for demanding an apology.

  • The BAFTA Film Awards ceremony took place on Sunday, March 2, 2026.
  • Google issued its initial apology and explanation shortly after the incident.

The players

Google

The tech giant that sent the offensive push notification about the BAFTA awards controversy.

John Davidson

The Tourette syndrome activist whose involuntary use of the N-word during the BAFTA ceremony sparked the controversy.

Michael B. Jordan

The actor who was presenting an award with Delroy Lindo when Davidson's outburst occurred.

Delroy Lindo

The actor who was presenting an award with Michael B. Jordan when Davidson's outburst occurred.

Fredrick Joseph

The bestselling author who criticized the outpouring of sympathy for Davidson, arguing that if he had offended white people, the response would have been different.

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What they’re saying

“Every Black person I know is punished for whichever way they choose to react. If they are openly angry, then they are dangerous, or militant, overreacting, or lacking empathy for the person who has just harmed them. If they react with kindness or a desire to educate, then they are forced to carry the emotions of the person who has just harmed them. If they decide to ignore it, then they are told by others that it's obvious by their reaction that this harm is acceptable, and it will continue with gusto.”

— Ijeoma Oluo, Author of 'So You Want to Talk About Race'

“When anti-Black racism is dismissed as a system error, it tells us something about the system. It tells us who it was built to protect, and who it wasn't.”

— Fredrick Joseph, Bestselling author (Threads)

What’s next

Google has stated that it is investigating the incident and will take appropriate action, but has not provided details on any specific consequences for the employees involved in the creation and distribution of the offensive push notification.

The takeaway

This incident underscores the ongoing challenges tech companies face in addressing racial bias and lack of accountability within their systems and processes. While Google claims the error was not AI-generated, the fact that it occurred at all raises serious questions about the company's commitment to preventing harm to marginalized communities. Moving forward, greater transparency and concrete steps to address these issues will be crucial for rebuilding trust.