TOKYO: A group of doctors has filed a 1.4-million-yen damages lawsuit against technology giant Google over its Google Maps online map service.

In the group suit filed with Tokyo District Court on Thursday, the plaintiffs–63 individuals and organizations operating medical institutions–claimed that their operating rights have been violated as Google failed to deal with inappropriate information about the facilities posted on Google Maps.

It was unusual for such a damages lawsuit to be filed against a giant information technology company, not against individuals who post inappropriate information.

On Google Maps, people can post reviews about facilities registered on the online map and rate them on a five-point scale.

The plaintiffs argued that Google has left altered and false information about their medical facilities intact by failing to take action against the disinformation, and that they themselves had to take legal action against individuals involved as a result and their operating rights therefore have been violated.

With Google Maps having a huge share of the online map service market, the level of rights violations involved is far greater than that of violations related to websites run by individuals, the plaintiffs said.

At a press conference Thursday, a man who heads the group of plaintiffs said, “Altering the name of the office and changing its location to the middle of the Pacific Ocean (on Google Maps) are a clear obstruction of business.”

In response to the lawsuit, a Google public relations official said: “We are protecting corporate profiles around the clock and deleting inappropriate reviews. We refrain from commenting on an individual case.”

JIJI Press