The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Google Maps pulls cupcake feature
Strong negative feedback has prompted Google to remove a cupcake calorie-counter from its iOS Maps app.
You can call it the Great Cupcake Controversy of 2017.
In what is probably the only example ever of tiny, frosted cakes sparking mass outrage, strong negative feedback has prompted Google to remove a cupcake calorie-counter from its iOS Maps app, the company confirmed Tuesday.
Google recently added the cutesy — and possibly half-baked — feature as an experiment. With the new feature, users saw a pink cupcake icon that automatically showed them how many calories they would burn if they walked to their destination. The app also translated that calorie count into mini cupcakes, telling walkers how many of the tiny treats they would burn if they walked from point A to point B.
But complaints soon started raining down like sprinkles.
Critics accused the cartoon cupcake counter of being patronizing, promoting body-shaming, and possibly triggering unhealthy behavior in people who have struggled with eating disorders or over-exercise, BBC reports. There’s no way to turn the feature off, critics pointed out.
“Do they realize how extremely triggering something like this is for ppl who have had eating disorders? Not to mention just generally shamey,” a user named Taylor Lorenz tweeted. She added: “Also it looks like there’s no way to turn this feature off what the hell.”
Users also pointed out that Google Maps doesn’t take a user’s personal health information into account, so its cupcake calorie-counter likely isn’t accurate.
Others slammed the cupcake counter as being just plain useless.
“Okay, Google let me tell you something. No one who eats cupcakes ever eats almost 1 mini cupcake!” wrote a Twitter user who goes by Arch S.
And then there were those who didn’t see what the big deal was, even asking for help explaining cupcake-gate.
“Can someone explain why googles Cupcake counter was offensive? Honestly I don’t understand,” wrote a Twitter user who goes by the name “Bring Your Own Demon.”
Whatever the reason, Google confirmed to this news organization Tuesday that it is removing the calorie-counter, citing “strong user feedback.”
The cupcake counter should have been removed by Monday evening, the company confirmed. If users are still seeing the feature, they should restart the app.
It’s spectacularly bad timing on Google’s part. It turns out that Wednesday was National Chocolate Cupcake Day (not to be confused with regular National Cupcake Day, which is Dec. 15) — which would have been a prime opportunity for gimmicks galore to show off Google’s cupcake caloriecounter. But the Google cupcakes weren’t chocolate anyway.
They were pink — whatever flavor that is.
Critics accused the cartoon cupcake counter of being patronizing, promoting body-shaming, and possibly triggering unhealthy behavior in people who have struggled with eating disorders or over-exercise, BBC reports. There’s no way to turn the feature off, critics pointed out.