KEY POINTS:
Automated systems have again left web giant Yahoo looking stupid.
This time, the company's news site has displayed a photo gallery of Olympic scenes, tourists, performers and fluffy mascots under the bad taste headline 'Tiananmen Square massacre remembered'
Yahoo told the UK's Guardian that an automated gallery feature was to blame for the mistake, which saw the it on display on its news site in that state for at least 24 hours.
The system used keywords to automatically add images to galleries.
The Guardian reported that the gallery and accompanying Tiananmen Square headline was also visible from Beijing.
A Yahoo statement added: "The 'Tiananmen Square massacre remembered' slideshow was created following memorial services on the anniversary of the event, and the slideshow was set up to automatically add photos with the term 'Tiananmen' in the photo caption.
"Given that the slideshow is no longer featuring photos from the memorial services, Yahoo! News has updated the slideshow title to 'Tiananmen Square'."
Internet content about the massacre has generally been blocked in mainland China by authorities. Some content is still blocked from the capital by what is colloquially known as the Great Firewall of China. This is despite assurances from organisers that journalists would have unhindered web access during the Games.
It isn't the first time that Yahoo has found itself caught in the crossfire over Chinese political issues.
Last year Yahoo boss Jerry Yang personally apologised to the family of journalist Shi Tao, who was jailed after the company turned over details identifying him as the sender of a controversial email about blocked Tiananmen content.
The company then sold most of its stake in a Chinese internet operation.
Yahoo has also run into problems with its Shortcuts system, which adds links to stories based on keywords.
An article on the call girl involved in the prostitution scandal with US governor Eliot Spitzer invited readers to browse photos of underage girls.
- NZ HERALD STAFF
