Google admitted their software had been udderly ‘overzealous’, but didn’t begrudge cow for milking its newfound fame

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

We are used to faces and number plates being obscured by Google to protect privacy for images on Street View, but animals don’t often suffer the same fate – except for this Cambridge cow.

The picture, which was taken last summer at Coe Fen, was spotted by the Guardian’s US opinion editor David Shariatmadari.

David Shariatmadari (@D_Shariatmadari) Great to see Google takes cow privacy seriously pic.twitter.com/ACTBpDwno6

Although the cow can be seen in all its bovine glory in one image near the river Cam, Google appears to have blurred it for a tighter crop.

The search giant admitted its technology may have been a little overeager.

A spokesperson for Google told the BBC: “We thought you were pulling the udder one when we herd the moos, but it’s clear that our automatic face-blurring technology has been a little overzealous. Of course, we don’t begrudge this cow milking its five minutes of fame.”

Shariatmadari’s tweet has been retweeted more than 9,000 times – with plenty of cow jokes among the replies.

Tim Bale (@ProfTimBale) @D_Shariatmadari @jonworth Some people think one cow looks much like any udder. Not so!

Dave smith (@Powys_power_gat) @D_Shariatmadari was she asked mooove out of the way or was the pic taken on the hoof?

Rev. Howard Furst (@revhowardfurst) @D_Shariatmadari @jazmasta Cows should dress more modestly so they don't have to have their faces blurred in shame. pic.twitter.com/dBkfvpVprR

The cow picture has echoes of an image released in May by West Midlands police of three lambs being transported in a Ford Galaxy people carrier.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Stolen lambs

Photograph: West Midlands Police/PA

Officers spotted the unusual cargo in Yardley, Birmingham, and pursued the vehicle, which hit a parked car.

Three men abandoned the Ford and its cuddly cargo, but were arrested after a search of nearby gardens. One was found up a tree and another in a conservatory.

The three lambs were rehomed at a farm in Sheldon while officers attempted to trace their owners.