Google Removed 99.97% of These Reviews in Germany

Did you know almost 100% of reviews removed for defamation in Europe came from one country? A recent Fast Company investigation found that 99.97% of Google reviews removed for defamation across the entire European Union were for businesses in Germany. Under Germany's defamation laws, businesses can challenge negative reviews, and reviewers need to prove that they

actually visited the business. So, imagine leaving a three-star review, and Google removes it because you can't prove you ate there. But, here's the bigger problem. If negative reviews keep getting removed, those four-and-five-star reviews may not tell the full story. Google says it only removes reviews when they violate their policies or local laws, not simply

because a business dislikes the reviews. And Google says users can appeal review removals. So, the question is, how much should we trust five-star ratings if negative reviews never make it onto the profile? Think about that.