Could Google Suggest Lose You Your Job?
The idea of the Internet getting us into trouble at work is not a new one. Recently some employers got themselves into trouble after demanding that job candidates give up their Facebook login details so they could snoop on their account.
Meanwhile, earlier this year it was reported that a man was fired from his job because his LinkedIn profile was setup to alert him of job opportunities.
News however that Google Suggest has landed a Japanese man the sack however takes things to a new level. Google Suggest offers the searcher suggestions once they begin typing. So for instance if a user types 'car' it might offer car hire, car insurance, car games and so on.
The problem is that when employers typed this mans name they were offered lots of searches relating to a man of this name and criminal activity. If these suggested searches are selected more than 10,000 web pages are returned that defame or disparage him.
The man asked Google to clean up its records so neither results or suggestions appear, but Google refused on the grounds that the results are determined by algorithm and thus weren't intentional.
"It could lead to irretrievable damage, such as job loss or bankruptcy, just by displaying search results that constitute defamation or violation of the privacy of an individual person or small and medium-size companies," the mans lawyer said.
"It is necessary to establish a measure to enable swift redress for damage in the event of a clear breach," he continued, adding that the man will take further legal action to prompt Google to comply if the Internet giant continues to neglect to act.
For many, Google Suggest has been a source of much hilarity, with funny suggestions a popular staple of blogs the world over. For this individual however, the suggestions were far from amusing.
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