Duolingo has apologised after a German lesson on its language-learning app described Harry Potter author JK Rowling as "mean".
The American language-learning platform, founded in 2011 and offering courses in 43 languages, faced backlash when a user discovered the controversial content.
Journalist Gaby Koppel was learning German when she encountered a lesson asking: "Do you like books with Harry Potter as a character?"
The correct answer required users to select: "Yes, but in my opinion the author is mean." The incorrect response option read: "Yes, you're right. I'm interested in sports."
Koppel shared a screenshot on social media, writing: "Shame on you @duolingo: learning German and I came across the sentence "Yes I like Harry Potter, but the author is mean. How woke do you have to be to let #trans ideology infect a language lesson?"
She told The Telegraph that Rowling was the "first and only real-life person" criticised in five months of using the app.
A Duolingo spokesperson responded to the backlash with an apology.
The company said: "We apologise for any offence caused and will remove this content from the app."
The language app has an estimated 34.1 million daily active users globally, making it the most popular language-learning platform worldwide.
Rowling has faced significant backlash for her transgender-related comments on social media.
Earlier this year, she celebrated a Supreme Court ruling on sex with a photo of herself toasting: "I love it when a plan comes together."
The ruling means trans people can now be blocked from accessing designated single-sex spaces.
Sources used: "Metro" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
