Google regrets cedi-dollar exchange rate glitch - Finance Ministry

Google has apologised for a glitch in its currency converter widget which displayed the wrong cedi-dollar exchange rate on Friday, March 15, 2019.

The exchange rate displayed for a dollar on Google was four times the actual value, alongside erroneous market rates of a number of currencies against the Ghanaian cedi.

However, the Finance Ministry in a statement disclosed that Google in a letter addressed to the office of the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta and the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Ernest Addison said it was aware of last Friday's inaccurate conversions for the Ghanaian cedi currency and attributed it to a minor glitch that was quickly fixed.

"In a letter addressed to the office of the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta and the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Ernest Addison, Mrs Titi Akinsanmi, Google’s Head Public Policy & Government Relations, West and Francophone Africa said: “we are aware of the issue of inaccurate conversions for Ghanaian Cedi currency on Friday the 15th of March. This was caused by a minor glitch that was quickly fixed,” the Finance Ministry statement said.

"The alleged “minor glitch” went viral on social media shortly after it appeared online, as Ghanaians sought to understand whether Google’s currency convertor’s ludicrous rates were true. Google did not specify if their system had been attacked by malware".

Other currencies including Nigeria's naira and Pakistan's rupee have suffered similar glitches in their value on Google recently.

On February 22, the naira had traded at about twice its normal value. It was the second time Africa’s largest economy had suffered from an error in Google’s currency convertor system. Mid-January this year, Pakistan's rupee also suffered a glitch with affected values similar to what occurred in Nigeria.

Below is the full statement from the Finance Ministry

Google regrets a glitch in their exchange rate currency convertor that affected their cedi to dollar rates last Friday.

Accra, Wednesday 20th March, 2019 – On Friday, 15th March, Google’s currency convertor widget displayed a cedi to dollar rate that was four times the actual value, alongside erroneous market rates of a number of currencies against the Ghanaian Cedi.

2. In a letter addressed to the office of the Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta and the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Ernest Addison, Mrs Titi Akinsanmi, Google’s Head Public Policy & Government Relations, West and Francophone Africa said: “we are aware of the issue of inaccurate conversions for Ghanaian Cedi currency on Friday the 15th of March. This was caused by a minor glitch that was quickly fixed.”

3. The alleged “minor glitch” went viral on social media shortly after it appeared online, as Ghanaians sought to understand whether Google’s currency convertor’s ludicrous rates were true. Google did not specify if their system had been attacked by malware.

4. “We always aim to provide people with the most relevant, useful information to help them to make the right decisions. But sometimes there are temporary issues that can cause people to have undesired experiences, like the one this past Friday. This was regrettable,” said Mrs Akinsanmi.

5. Although she expressed regret over what has affected two other countries since the beginning of the year, Mrs Akinsanmi stopped short of apologizing for the glitch.

6. Nigeria was also recently affected by a similar “glitch” as the country headed to the polls in February.

On the 22nd of February, the Naira had traded at about twice its normal value. It was the second time Africa’s largest economy had suffered from an error in Google’s currency convertor system. Mid-January this year, Pakistan Rupee also suffered a glitch with affected values similar to what occurred in Nigeria.

END

ISSUED BY
PUBLIC RELATIONS UNIT,
MINISTRY OF FINANCE