A Japanese court has ordered Google to modify its autocomplete search functionality

A Japanese court has ordered Google to modify its autocomplete search functionality. This is to prevent the search engine from suggesting criminal acts when users type one man’s name, according to a report from the The Economic Times.

The plaintiff claimed that when users begin typing his name, the search engine auto complete results takes users to websites that defame the unidentified man, the report states.

Google was also ordered to pay 300,000 yen ($3,100) for the mental anguish experienced by the man. The plaintiff claimed that after the incident, he found it difficult to find a job.

[pullquote] Google was also ordered to pay 300,000 yen ($3,100) for the mental anguish experienced by the man.[/pullquote]

Google has informed local media that it would study the judgment carefully. However, it does not need to make specific changes. Google’s search functions are not based in Japan, hence the Japanese court cannot compel it to make the change, according to the report.

This is not the first time Google’s autocomplete search feature has landed the company in trouble. In January 2012, Google was ordered to pay a €50,000 fine by a court in Paris. The US-based internet giant was sued by insurance firm Lyonnaise de Garantie. The insurance company claimed that typing its name into the French, Belgian, Canadian, Italian, British and Spanish versions of Google search, brought up an automated suggestion that included the word escroc, which means swindler or crook.

Source:  The Economic Times