// Netherlands · Review removal
Car dealer's demand to remove Google Maps reviews rejected by court
Rechtbank Zeeland-West-Brabant ·
ECLI:NL:RBZWB:2026:59
The case
A car dealer demanded Google remove four negative reviews from Google Maps, claiming they were unlawful. The court denied all claims as the reviews were based on genuine customer experiences and contained no false facts but rather evaluations protected by freedom of expression.
What the court considered
- 01The four disputed reviews were based on genuine customer experiences and contained no false facts
- 02Reviews contained evaluations and opinions that fall under freedom of expression
- 03No evidence of reviews placed solely to cause harm - there were actual commercial contacts
- 04Plaintiff had acknowledged uncertainty about mileage and lacked technical facilities at time of review 4
What this means in practice
Companies cannot easily have negative reviews removed - there must be deliberately false facts without basis in actual experience. Reviews with ratings from genuine customers remain published, even if they are damaging to reputation. This ruling clarifies the boundary between protected freedom of expression and unlawful reviews, with emphasis on the truthfulness of facts versus permitted opinions.
Legal basis
- Artikel 6:162 BW (onrechtmatige daad)
- Artikel 10 EVRM (vrijheid van meningsuiting)
- Google's hostingregime
Related rulings
- Supreme Court rejects Digital Revolution's appeal against Google over unlawful reviewsNetherlands · 7 November 2025
- Debt collector loses bid to remove negative Google reviews over opinion statementsNetherlands · 31 October 2025
- Law firm's bid to remove negative Google reviews rejected by courtNetherlands · 15 September 2025
- Court Blocks Legal Advisor's Bid to Unmask Negative ReviewersNetherlands · 30 June 2025
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