Google Maps users have been spotting swastikas appearing on points of interest around the world – and they are very confused.
The startling symbol has been cropping up in locations such as Dublin, Edinburgh, Las Vegas and even on London’s Savoy Hotel.
And many have been taking to Twitter to express their bemusement over its appearance.
Andy Ingram took to Twitter yesterday (pictured) to express his confusion over the appearance of swastikas on Google Maps. He told MailOnline they disappeared after he rebooted the app
The symbol appeared on locations including London’s Savoy Hotel, the Imperial and Thistle Bloomsbury Park Hotel London (left and right)
One user, called Andy Ingram, tweeted to ask Google: ‘Why are your maps showing London hotels with swastikas on the pins?’
He told MailOnline: ‘I was looking at the area on Google maps because I’m in London for the weekend. Saw the icons on the hotels and wondered why they were there.
‘I closed the app for a short time and when I opened it again they were back to the usual hotel icon.
‘At the time I just presumed it was some hackers having fun, because you hear of things like that happening.’
Another, called Liana, also noticed the symbol and tweeted The Balmoral in Edinburgh, saying: ‘Noticed this very strange thing on Google maps today.
‘Your symbol appears as a swastika. However, it’s only when you zoom in that it changes to a hotel symbol. Seems extremely weird.’
Katie, from Dublin, also took to Twitter yesterday (pictured) confused as to why hotels including the Merchant House appeared to have the swastika as their icon
Google Maps in Edinburgh was also caught up in the technical hitch, which Google says led to the symbol appearing on places it shouldn’t
The swastika was most notably adopted by the Nazi party prior to WWII and under Adolf Hitler became a symbol of antisemitism and terror.
But it originally had a far more positive meaning, having been around for thousands of years as a symbol of divinity and spirituality in Indian religions.
For many, however, it is that symbol of terror that first springs to mind when viewing the swastika – leading to concern among Google Maps users.
Katie, from Dublin, just yesterday tweeted: ‘Google Maps, can you tell me why the hotels in Dublin have swastika signs on them?’
In an interview with HuffPost, she said: ‘I opened my maps and was looking for hotels in the surrounding area, when I noticed the swastikas.
‘I thought it very strange so I took a screenshot. That’s when I tweeted Google maps questioning.’
The symbol has been used by many different cultures and is seen here being used on a Japanese shrine as a symbol of peace
Some suggested possible reasons for the appearance of the symbol, with David Griffith claiming on Twitter that it was not a swastika at all.
He said: ‘Nazi swastikas point clockwise and usually appear diagonally. This is a Manji.
‘That swastika points counter-clockwise, has appeared on temples in southern and eastern Asia for millennia, and is often used there as a map icon to mark temples.’
Indeed, Google confirmed to HuffPost that the image appearing on maps was not a swastika, but instead a ‘Buddhist symbol of worship.’
Although the tech company did admit that the symbol was being used incorrectly in some places.
The spokesman said: ‘We’re aware that these religious symbols are incorrectly displaying for certain hotels, and are working on a fix to restore the correct hotel icon to these places.’