Can you still trust Google Maps?
NB — Defamation complaints may target fake reviews as well as genuine ones.
Can you trust Google Maps? Reviews removed from Berlin venues following defamation complaints — figures disclosed by Google.
Data sourced from Google's public disclosures. The data does not indicate whether complaints were legally justified, whether reviews were factually accurate, or whether any venue acted improperly.
Can you trust Google Maps? Reviews removed from Berlin venues following defamation complaints — figures disclosed by Google.
Google publishes a notice on Berlin business listings disclosing how many reviews have been removed following defamation complaints. We collect the data and map it.
Germany's content laws require platforms to act on defamation complaints quickly. Law firms file complaints on behalf of paying clients. Google processes the complaint and removes the review.
Google discloses removal counts in bands (1, 2–5, 6–10 … “over 250”). Counts cover the last 365 days. We use the median of each band for citywide totals and venue figures; the band itself is shown alongside so the range is visible. Figures involving venues at the 250+ cap are minimums; their true counts may be higher.
The raw dataset is available to journalists and researchers on request.
High counts mean complaints were filed and processed — not that a venue did anything wrong. We do not name reviewers, complainants, or law firms acting on individual cases. We do not reproduce the content of removed reviews. Every figure on this site originates from Google’s own public disclosures.
If you believe data on this site is incorrectly represented, contact us. Verifiable corrections are made promptly.
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