Google libel - a victory for common sense

Information Week US reports on a huge victory for common sense this week. Yes, Google has managed to overcome yet another law suit, this time over an obviously ludicrous libel claim that, had they lost, would have set a dangerous precedent for communications, customer service and the freedom of information on the internet.

The claim, and I won’t mention any names for fear of litigation, you can read about them in the Information Week article, was that Google should be held liable for third party comments that appear in its search results. You know that derogatory blog post that’s taken on a life of its own in the search results? The one that outranks your own website? Or the forum where customers keep saying your product is faulty or dangerous? The company basically wanted Google to admit liability for anything possibly libellous said about them that appears in its search results.

Well, unfortunately for the lazy communicators out there, and thankfully for those with a shred of common sense, the company lost. You aren’t simply going to be able to sue Google and get any derogatory comment removed. Shame…

It’s important that this case went the way it did, firstly because its obvious that a search engine is there for presenting you with all the information it deems relevant to your search enquiry, It is NOT there to block and selectively present corporate-approved content; we have seen the impact of content blocking and filtering in various locations around the world and it simply doesn’t and shouldn’t work. The second point is that filtering such comments would be to negate a huge part of what the web is about – a forum for feedback and communication.

So, someone says something bad about your company or product. Taking the legal route nowadays will frequently turn dissenting voices into a movement and a movement will gain even more interest, followers and even mass-media coverage. Scary stuff.

SO ENGAGE! Find out what the issue is. Find out whether it’s true, If it is, fix it, If it isn’t engage with those that are saying it and present the correct, evidenced case.

Disgruntled people rarely attack companies for absolutely no reason and if you don’t engage, you’ll never know what their issues are. So many companies are getting so good at this and their customers appreciate it no-end, building long-term brand loyaloty. If you fail to address your customers’ and stakeholders’ concerns, they will say bad things about you and will ultimately buy elsewhere.

Make sense?