A French blogger has been fined for writing a harsh restaurant review that got a high Google ranking.
Ms Doudet was sued by the owner of Il Giardino restaurant in the Aquitaine region of southwestern France after she wrote a blogpost entitled “the place to avoid in Cap-Ferret: Il Giardino”.
According to court documents, the review appeared fourth in the results of a Google search for the restaurant. The judge decided that the blog’s title should be changed, so that the phrase: “the place to avoid” was less prominent in the results.
The judge sitting in Bordeaux also pointed out that the harm to the restaurant was exacerbated by the fact that Ms Doudet’s fashion and literature blog “Cultur’elle” had around 3,000 followers, indicating she thought it was a significant number.
Really? There are more of you than that. (Yes really. You’re a good-sized mob by now.)
The judge told Ms Doudet to amend the title of the blog and to pay €1,500 ($2,000; £1,200).
In her article, which has now been deleted, she complained of poor service and what she said was a poor attitude on the part of the owner during a visit in August 2013.
Restaurants can sue critics for writing bad reviews? And win?
Incroyable.