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A group of doctors are seeking to hold Google accountable for inaction over vitriolic reviews – Copyright AFP Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV<\/small><\/em><\/p>\nTomohiro OSAKI<\/em><\/p>\nAround 60 doctors in Japan have accused Google Maps of ignoring vitriolic reviews of their clinics in a class-action lawsuit touted as the first of its kind.<\/p>\n
The medics are seeking 1.4 million yen ($9,000) in total damages from Google in a bid to hold the US tech titan accountable for inaction over the reviews.<\/p>\n
They sued the company on Thursday, saying they are powerless to reply to, or refute, reputation-damaging reviews because of their obligation to patient confidentiality.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople who post online can say anything anonymously, even if it\u2019s nothing but slander or verbal abuse\u201d, one of the participating doctors told reporters.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s like I\u2019m a punching bag\u201d, he said under anonymity.<\/p>\n
The case at Tokyo District Court is believed to be the first class-action lawsuit in Japan to target a platform over negative online reviews, a lawyer for the plaintiffs said.<\/p>\n
\u201cDespite the ease with which they are posted, it has become extremely difficult to get the reviews taken down,\u201d lawyer Yuichi Nakazawa told AFP.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis can lead to doctors doing their job under the constant fear of receiving horrible reviews\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n
The objective of many medical institutions is not to satisfy patients, but to deal with their illnesses from a professional standpoint, the plaintiffs\u2019 complaint said.<\/p>\n
\u201cClinics that give patients only a perfunctory diagnosis and prescribe medicines as requested would be inappropriate medically, but highly appreciated by patients,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n
The nature of the job can also sometimes leave doctors susceptible to ad hominem online attacks by patients holding a grudge, plaintiffs argued.<\/p>\n
If the situation remains unaddressed, doctors \u201cmay find themselves hesitant to be firm and refuse medically unnecessary examinations or medicines requested by patients,\u201d Nakazawa warned.<\/p>\n
That ultimately does society a disservice, he argued.<\/p>\n
Google Maps is so widely used in Japan that it serves as \u201cinfrastructure\u201d for daily life, according to the complaint.<\/p>\n
So Google should be able to \u201ceasily recognise\u201d the disadvantages to medical businesses if unfair reviews are left unaddressed, it said.<\/p>\n
The plaintiffs acknowledged that Google takes down some Maps reviews under its own guidelines, but criteria for removal is opaque and \u201cfew\u201d are deleted, they alleged.<\/p>\n
Google told AFP it is \u201cmaking efforts to reduce inaccurate and misleading content on Google Maps\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the combination of human operators and computers, we are protecting the profile of companies around the clock, and removing unjust reviews\u201d, the company said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
Japan doctors sue Google Maps over ‘punching bag’ reviews
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#Japan #doctors #sue #Google #Maps #punching #bag #reviews<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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