Google is now showing the number of reviews that were deleted on a specific Google Business Profile due to defamation complaints. This seems to be live in Germany and not other countries right now.
This was spotted by Benjamin Szturmaj who posted the German screenshot on X - I had Google Translate translate it and it says, "Over 250 reviews removed due to defamation complaints."
Benjamin wrote, "Google finally did it, you can see how many reviews have been deleted through the 'defamation 'path that lawyers use to delete anything remotely negative in Germany."
I asked some local SEOs for clarification and Michael Blumenthal said, "Germany is a unique case because of German laws and the proliferation of law firms that focus on getting negative reviews removed under those laws." " Benjamin added, "This count is only towards reviews specifically removed because of the law, not because of Google Guideline. And the ones removed by law are done without any user input, you just get an email where you can appeal the decision (unlike the ones removed bc of guideline violation)."
Joy Hawkins added, "Yeah I can't see this happening in other countries unless they have similar laws. I don't think Google wants to do this, I think they have to."
Forum discussion at X.
