Germany's legal push to delete Google reviews fuels fake rating controversy

In Germany a thriving industry has emerged around removing negative Google reviews. Lawyers on behalf of businesses invoke a 2022 German Federal Court of Justice ruling that allows a rating to be challenged by disputing the reviewer’s status as a customer. The EU Digital Services Act obliges platforms like Google to act quickly on reported content, and in the first six months of the year over 820,000 Google Maps comments were deleted in the EU, more than 99 % of which originated in Germany.

By contrast, Switzerland has no equivalent DSA‑style requirement. A draft communications‑platform law is under consultation, and Swiss courts have so far resisted deletions, exemplified by a 2022 Zurich higher‑court decision that rejected a medical practice’s request to erase a negative review. Surveys show that about 81.8 % of Swiss businesses have encountered false or harmful comments, and one in five have faced extortion threats.

Studies underline the commercial weight of online ratings: a Harvard Business School analysis found that an extra star on a platform can boost a restaurant’s revenue by 5‑9 %. Yet consumer trust is eroding, with estimates that at least 10 % of Google reviews are fabricated, prompting calls for more transparent moderation.