False Google AI summaries can damage your firm's reputation
In brief
According to Next, the regional court in Aachen held Google responsible for AI search summaries that linked a named doctor to a sexual assault conviction that concerned another man. The court barred Google from repeating that information. It is the second such ruling in Germany, after a June decision in Munich about legitimate companies wrongly tied to scams.
Source : Next - « Un homme accusé à tort de crime sexuel par l’IA de Google, l’entreprise jugée responsable »
What it changes for an SME
For an SME of 10 to 250 people, the main issue is reputation: Google AI summaries can attach serious wrongdoing to your managers or your company, as a Munich court already found when legitimate firms were linked to scams. In Germany, two courts now treat Google as responsible for that generated text, but according to Next the company first refused to remove the false account after an email and a formal notice. A correction is therefore not automatic and may require going to court. These rulings do not automatically apply in Belgium or France, yet they show that how you appear in AI search results is worth checking.
What you can do
- Search your company name and your managers' names in Google, including AI summaries, and record any identity mix-up or unfounded claim.
- If you find an error, document it and request removal through Google's channels; do not assume a single alert will be enough.
- Treat AI search summaries as unverified text before you use them to judge a partner, candidate or supplier.
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