Google Reviews Management is a critical legal service for modern businesses in Georgia, as most consumers make decisions based on online ratings. Defamation, false information, or "black PR" organized by competitors in Google reviews can instantly destroy a company's reputation and lead to a dramatic drop in sales. Business owners often believe that fighting Google is impossible and that they must simply accept unfair ratings. In reality, there are legal mechanisms to remove fake, defamatory, or policy-violating reviews. This process requires not only technical knowledge but also legal justification that a specific comment violates Georgian law or the platform's terms of service.
What does the Google Reviews Management service cover?
Our service does not involve using "bots" or artificially inflating ratings. It is a purely legal process that includes:
- Legal Audit of Reviews: Analyzing each negative rating—is it from a real client? Does it contain defamation? Does it violate Google's content policy (e.g., hate speech, conflict of interest)?
- Official Communication with Google: Sending substantiated complaints (Flagging) and formal Legal Removal Requests to Google's legal department.
- Author Identification: If the review contains signs of a crime or severe defamation, attempting to establish the author's identity through legal means.
- Litigation: Preparing a lawsuit against a specific author demanding retraction of defamation and compensation for damages.
- Crisis Responses: Drafting legally sound responses to negative reviews to mitigate reputation damage.
Common Scenarios and Needs
Businesses often face the following problems: Competitor Attacks: A competitor creates dozens of fake accounts and posts 1-star ratings without comments or with false accusations. Disgruntled Employees: A former employee writes a negative review out of revenge, pretending to be a client. Mistaken Identity: A client confuses your company with another and posts someone else's negative experience on your page. Blackmail: A client threatens a bad review if they do not receive an unjustified discount or service.
Georgian Legislation and Regulations
Review management is based on Article 18 of the Civil Code of Georgia (protection of honor, dignity, and business reputation) and the Law on Freedom of Speech and Expression. The law clearly distinguishes between fact and opinion. If a user writes: "I didn't like the food"—that is an opinion and is protected. But if they write: "I found a cockroach in the food" and it is a lie—that is a fact subject to legal response. Additionally, Google operates under US law and its own "Prohibited and Restricted Content" policy, which bans spam, fake content, and conflicts of interest (e.g., reviewing your own business or bashing a competitor).
Step-by-Step Process
The process begins with studying the content of the review. The lawyer checks if the text violates Google's policy (e.g., Off-topic, Spam, Conflict of Interest). The first step is flagging via the internal system. If the algorithm or moderator does not remove the review, a formal legal request is sent in the second stage, citing facts of violation of Georgian law. If the author is identified (e.g., uses their real name), they are sent a warning about the initiation of a lawsuit. In many cases, authors delete the review themselves to avoid legal problems.
Why Legal.ge?
Legal.ge is not a marketing agency; we are a platform for lawyers. We know how to speak to Google and Georgian judges in legal language. Our specialists will help you protect your business from digital defamation and restore a fair rating. Do not let fake reviews damage your revenue—turn to Legal.ge.
Updated: ...