Removal of False Reviews from the Internet

A statement has appeared on Google Maps, a review website or social media claiming that your company deceives clients. The author describes an event that never happened, but the text is already influencing customers’ decisions. To seek removal, it is necessary to identify which facts are false, preserve the evidence and determine the proper addressee of the demands. A lawyer can help prepare a complaint to the platform, a pre-trial demand to the author or provide court-based protection of business reputation.

When can removal of a review be requested?

Legal assistance may be appropriate where the review contains a specific violation:

• The author describes a non-existent order, payment or refusal to refund money.
• The company or an employee is accused of fraud, document forgery or other actions that did not occur.
• The reviews show signs of rating manipulation, a conflict of interest, threats or another breach of the platform’s rules.

A statement such as “I did not like the service” is not, by itself, a false fact. One review may combine a permissible opinion with a false allegation. In such cases, the specific phrases should be analysed. A poor rating, an unfamiliar username or the absence of that name from the CRM does not in itself prove that the author had no experience interacting with the business.

How to remove a false review from Google Maps

Google requires reviews to reflect a genuine experience and prohibits, among other things, fake engagement, conflicts of interest and unsubstantiated allegations of criminal activity. Negative experiences expressed appropriately are permitted. A complaint should explain which specific rule has been breached and include supporting evidence. Google Maps rules

For a review on a Business Profile, it is possible to report a violation and check its status. If the review is not removed, Google provides for a one-time appeal against the decision concerning that review. Repeating the same complaint without new arguments does not replace a properly reasoned appeal. Google review reporting procedure

Identical wording and close publication dates may indicate coordinated dissemination, but they do not by themselves establish who commissioned it. Any suspicion concerning a competitor must be supported by evidence. The rules of other websites must be reviewed separately: Google’s grounds and procedure do not automatically apply to all platforms.

What evidence is needed to remove false reviews?

Before contacting the author or moderator, preserve:

• The link, full text, review date, author profile and screenshots showing the name of the platform.
• Agreements, receipts, order details, refunds and correspondence relating to the situation described.
• Other publications by the author and repeated versions of the review, where available.
• Complaints, support responses, case reference numbers and available information about the consequences for the business.

If the author writes, “I paid for the repair, but the item was not returned”, we check not only the client database but also handover documents, deadlines and communications. Clear supporting evidence is important for moderation. Documents should be submitted only to the extent necessary: a public response should not disclose unnecessary personal data about the client.

When protecting a blogger on Threads, we analysed posts and comments in the context of the allegations. The same logic is important for reviews: a cropped quotation may fail to show who the words were directed at or whether the author is describing a specific event. Where the wording is ambiguous, we assess whether linguistic expert analysis would be appropriate.

What is included in the service for removing false reviews?

The scope of assistance is agreed after reviewing the materials:

• Legal analysis of the content, platform rules, authorship and evidence that the information is false.
• Preparation of a complaint, supporting documents for the platform and an appeal against a refusal, where available.
• A pre-trial demand to the author or appropriate disseminator seeking removal, cessation of dissemination or retraction.
• Preparation of court claims and representation where the pre-trial route has not resolved the violation.

At Prikhodko & Partners, we have prepared pre-trial demands relating to social media publications with specific requirements addressed to disseminators. A review also requires the disputed phrases to be identified and their falsity explained. A demand to “remove all negativity” does not give the author or the court a clear subject matter for the dispute.

If contacting the platform does not help, we assess court protection under Articles 94 and 277 of the Civil Code of Ukraine and the appropriate grounds for removal. An unidentified account makes it more difficult to determine the proper defendant. Removal of a review, retraction and compensation for damage are separate remedies; each must be substantiated. Civil Code of Ukraine

A platform’s decision cannot be guaranteed. The absence of a client from internal records is not always sufficient for moderation, and a Ukrainian court decision does not mean that a foreign service will automatically remove the content. These circumstances are taken into account before selecting a remedy and agreeing the costs.

How we work with false reviews

1. Analysis. We review the reviews, documents, platform rules and previous submissions. We agree the objective and scope of work.
2. Preservation. We preserve the materials and determine the necessary evidence and proper addressees.
3. Pre-trial action. We prepare a complaint to the platform, an available appeal or a pre-trial demand to the author.
4. Further protection. Where necessary, we prepare a claim and support the agreed procedural steps.

Advantages of legal support

• Prikhodko & Partners’ experience with public allegations, posts and comments on social media.
• Simultaneous assessment of the legal grounds and the rules of the specific platform.
• Specific demands supported by evidence.
• Selection of a complaint, pre-trial demand or court representation according to the circumstances.

Send us the links and documents relating to the events described. We will determine the grounds for action and the evidence required.