Google Images 'three black teenagers' mugshot stereotyping

Kabir Alli's discovery that images generated by a search on Google for 'three black teenagers' contrasted sharply with those for a search on the phrase 'three white teenagers', led users and commentators to accuse the technology company of racial stereotyping and bias. 

18-year-old graduate Alli had found that a search on Google Images for three black teenagers returned a series of photos of police mugshots, whereas a search for three white teenagers mostly consisted of smiling young males.

The discovery prompted a wave of complaints on Twitter, to which Alli had posted a video showing his findings, with some people accusing Google of stereotyping, whilst others saw it as racism. A number also suggested it was reflective of views held across a broad spectrum of society.