Google Sorry Over Michelle Obama Racist Image

Michelle and Barack

Google has apologised over a racially offensive picture of Michelle Obama which appears when users search for images of the US first lady.

The image comes top of the Google Images results for "Michelle Obama".

Google placed a notice over the picture titled "Offensive Search Results", saying: "Sometimes our search results can be offensive. We agree."

But it refused to remove the image from its search. The White House has declined to comment.

Users who click on the advertisement above the image are directed to a statement from Google which explains that its results "can include disturbing content, even from innocuous queries".

"We apologise if you've had an upsetting experience using Google," the company says.

Google says a website's ranking in its search results relies heavily on computer algorithms, using thousands of factors to calculate a page's relevance to a given query.

But the search engine says it does not remove images simply because it receives complaints.

"Google views the integrity of our search results as an extremely important priority," it says.

"Accordingly, we do not remove a page from our search results simply because its content is unpopular or because we receive complaints concerning it."

However, the California-based web giant says it will take down certain images, if required by law to do so.

A spokesman for Google, Scott Rubin, would not give details on how the image - which has sparked fury in the blogosphere - ended up as top result for the wife of President Barack Obama.

The picture first surfaced earlier this month, when it was removed because the site hosting it violated Google guidelines by spreading so-called malware - malicious software designed to infiltrate other computers.