French blogger fined over review's Google search placing

While I agree that this is appalling, I think the article misses the point entirely: she got sued, and lost, not because of her criticisms, but because she told people not to go to that restaurant. The former is fine and a proud part of France's cultural heritage while the later is, unfortunately, illegal: it's considered to be active steps to hurt a business or person.

So while, technically, she did get sued because her article was highly ranked on Google, what really happened was that the article's high google rank allowed her illegal article to be spotted.

Whether or not it should have been illegal in the first place is entirely debatable, but given current french laws, the fact that she was sued and lost is perfectly logical.

And before the whole "but but... freedom of expression!" crowd comes in: that is not a thing in France. There are some subjects that are illegal to talk about - you could, for example, go to jail for denying the existence of concentration camps (Gayssot law of 2005, I believe).

Archived version of the original article: http://web.archive.org/web/20131204090140/http://leschroniqu...

To anyone who finds this as infuriating as I do: take consolation in the fact that the Streisand effect will probably ensure this restaurant's bad service will now be known by an even greater public.

this is ridiculous. from what I read the "harm" that happened was really the fact that it was prominently placed in the search engines, which the blogger really had no direct control over. I do understand how the title of the review was a little harsh, but it was her opinion. Mind kind of blown right now.

This is why we have reviewers, to benefit good establishments and harm bad ones.

Leave it to the French and their deranged sense of justice.