Japanese Courts Want Google To Shut Down AutoComplete Over Mistaken Identities

Defamation by algorithm.

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For many, Google Search’s AutoComplete feature is a luxury, allowing us to be rather lazy with our typing and spelling. But if you’ve been unfortunately named something like, say, John Gacy and you’ve never killed anyone, AutoComplete gives you the distinction of being labeled a murderer by algorithm. It’s an honest mistake, but one Japanese man insists his employer fired him because AutoComplete associated him with the criminal activities of someone who shares his name. Tokyo District Courts determined his complaints to be legit and have now gone as far as to order Google to shut down the search feature altogether, citing “invasion of privacy.” Google doesn’t really care, contending that Japanese law can’t affect a U.S. company, so the feature seems to be staying put for now.

[via Gizmodo]

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