Google blurs cow's face for privacy

A cow roaming on a canal tow path has proved an internet hit - after someone spotted Google had given the same blur treatment normally given to human's to protect their privacy.

The animal was captured by Google's street view cameras at Coe Fen in Cambridge in August last year.

But the cow's pixelated face quickly became a social media phenomenon when Guardian journalist David Shariatmadari tweeted a screen grab of it on Tuesday.

It has since been retweeted more than 9,000 times and liked by more than 12,000 people.

One twitter user said the blur applied to the cow's face was "Udderly ridiculous", while another said the cow was now "anonymoos".

However just a few metres further along the tow path, the cow's face can been seen without a blur effect added.

A Google spokesperson told ITV News: "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."