About 60 doctors in Japan have accused Google Maps of ignoring vitriolic reviews about their clinics in a class-action lawsuit touted as the first of its kind.
The medics are seeking total damages of 1.4 million yen ($9,000) from Google in an attempt to hold the US tech titan accountable for inaction on the reviews.
They sued the company on Thursday, saying they are powerless to respond to or refute reputation-damaging reviews because of their obligation to patient confidentiality.
“People who post online can say anything anonymously, even if it is nothing more than slander or verbal abuse,” one of the participating doctors told reporters.
“It’s like I’m a punching bag,” he said anonymously.
The case in Tokyo District Court is believed to be the first class action lawsuit in Japan targeting a platform over negative online reviews, a lawyer for the plaintiffs said.
“Despite the ease with which they are posted, it has become extremely difficult to remove the reviews,” lawyer Yuichi Nakazawa told AFP.
“This can lead to doctors doing their jobs under the constant fear of getting terrible ratings,” he said.
The goal of many medical institutions is not to satisfy patients, but to deal with their illnesses from a professional standpoint, the plaintiffs’ complaint said.
“Clinics that only perfunctorily diagnose patients and prescribe medications as requested would be medically inappropriate but highly appreciated by patients,” the report said.
The nature of the work also sometimes leaves doctors open to ad hominem online attacks by patients who harbor grudges, the plaintiffs argued.
If the situation is not addressed, doctors may “hesitate to be firm and refuse medically unnecessary tests or medications requested by patients,” Nakazawa warned.
That ultimately does society a disservice, he argued.
Google Maps is so widely used in Japan that it serves as “infrastructure” for daily life, according to the complaint.
So Google should be able to “easily recognize” the downsides for medical companies if unfair reviews are not addressed, the report said.
The plaintiffs acknowledged that Google removes some Maps reviews under its own guidelines, but the criteria for removal are opaque and “few” are removed, they alleged.
Google told AFP it is “making efforts to reduce inaccurate and misleading content on Google Maps.”
“With the combination of human operators and computers, we protect companies’ profiles and remove unfair reviews 24 hours a day,” the company said.
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