Hong Kongers alarmed by Google translation gaffe

TOPSHOT - People walk past placards against a controversial extradition law proposal pasted on a wall near the Legislative Council Complex in Hong Kong on June 14, 2019. (Photo by Hector RETAMAL / AFP)

HONG KONG: Hong Kong social media lit up on June 14 when protesters noticed Google’s translation software was briefly churning out a rather odd suggestion during a week that has seen the worst political violence to hit the city in decades. 

Eagle-eyed Google users discovered that when people entered the phrase “I am sad to see Hong Kong become part of China” the suggested translation in both Simplified and Traditional Chinese converted the word “sad” to “happy”.