The popularity of Google Maps is growing as it has a function for posting reviews, or 'kuchikomi,' and evaluating facilities and places on a scale from one to five stars.
A medical doctor and 62 other individuals and groups filed the suit with the Tokyo District Court on Thursday.
They are seeking 1.4 million yen, or about 9,400 dollars, in damages. They say they have repeatedly asked Google to delete posts on Google Maps that differ from the facts and give unfair evaluations. They added the US tech giant has refused to delete harmful reviews of the doctor's clinic, and that has hurt his business.
Plaintiff: "All they can do"
The plaintiffs and their lawyers held a news conference after they filed the suit in Tokyo.
The doctor said his medical clinic in Tokyo has been subjected to negative posts on Google Maps such as "the clinic turned me down," and "it cannot provide exams properly." His clinic was also rated one star, the lowest on the scale of five stars.
Based on the content and date of the posts, the doctor believes the person who posted the groundless reviews is a patient whom he had referred to other medical institutions because the individual had symptoms outside his expertise. He asked Google to delete the posts.
But he received an email from Google stating he had no choice but to talk to the poster and ask the person to delete the review, or ask the court to order a deletion.
"I'm frustrated with the situation in which I can't do anything because the posts differ from the facts," the doctor said. "Medical institutions have a duty of confidentiality, so I can't reply publicly to those posters. It's really all they can do."
He said he urged Google to address the situation, but the company has not made any essential improvements and refused to hold talks, so he said had no choice but to file the suit.
The plaintiffs and their lawyers say only a small number of posters respond to requests from Google to delete reviews. They said the trial will allow them to show how malicious posts have damaged their businesses and call on the company to clarify standards for deletion.
Google's standard for users
Google bans posts that are not based on actual experience or information, as well as intentional false information posts. It also bans slander, personal attacks, or inaccurate content.
Google says it deleted more than 170 million posts in 2023 citing violations of its standards.
Meanwhile, Google says if there is a difference of opinion between the user who posted a review and the business that is the subject of the post, it will not step in to decide which is in the right.
Google has refused comment on individual cases, but said Google Maps is working to make it easier for users to find accurate information about businesses and places, while reducing inaccurate or misleading reviews. The company said Google's team is combining human operators and computers to protect the profiles of companies around the clock and delete unjust reviews. The company said it is actively monitoring the system and deleting content that violate its policy.