Google Ireland, the European headquarters of US giant Google, has been ordered by the Dijon Court of Appeal to reveal the identities of two people accused of having issued “false reviews” about a guest house, it was learned on Tuesday from the parties.
The court, in summary proceedings, ordered Google Ireland on June 21 to give the identities and contact details of two people who, in 2018 for one and in 2020 for the other, had published a star rating on Google Maps, no comment (two stars out of five and one out of five) on the Château de Balleure, a bed and breakfast in Etrigny (Saône-et-Loire).
Google is also sentenced to pay legal costs, as well as 2,000 euros to the pension, according to the sentence of which AFP obtained a copy. On the other hand, the court does not condemn the deletion of the messages, which will be examined later during a trial on the merits.
Identification of authors
Annulling a judgment of first instance of the court of Chalon-sur-Saône, of July 20, 2021, the court considers that the guest house has “a legitimate reason” to obtain from Google any element that allows “the identification of the author ( s) controversial banknotes” in order to be able, in a subsequent trial on the merits, to determine whether they actually came from people who were not customers of the Château de Balleure.
The “push” function asks Google Maps users who pass near an accommodation or restaurant to give their “opinion”, “but without implementing adequate controls to ensure that these Internet users have really used the services of the establishment”, estimates the AFP Mr. Salama, who now intends to sue Google for the fund.
When asked, Google referred to Maps rules that ensure “contributions must be based on real experiences and information.” Disputes over “fake reviews” are on the rise around the world. The UK Competition Authority (CMA) is currently investigating Amazon and Google over concerns that the two groups “have not done enough to address false reviews”.
Source: BFM TV
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