Google claims court ruling would force it to ‘censor’ the internet

Google has asked the High Court of Australia to overturn a 2020 ruling it warns could have a “devastating” effect on the wider internet. In a filing the search giant made on Friday, Google claims it will be forced to “act as censor” if the country’s highest court doesn’t overturn a decision that awarded a lawyer $40,000 in defamation damages for an article the company had linked to through its search engine, reports The Guardian.

In 2016, George Defteros, a Victoria state lawyer whose past client list included individuals implicated in Melbourne’s notorious gangland killings, contacted Google to ask the company to remove a 2004 article from The Age. The piece featured reporting on murder charges prosecutors filed against Defteros related to the death of three men. Those charges were later dropped in 2005. The company refused to remove the article from its search results as it viewed the publication as a reputable source.

The matter eventually went to court with Defteros successfully arguing the article and Google’s search results had defamed him. The judge who oversaw the case ruled The Age’s reporting had implied Defteros had been cozy with Melbourne’s criminal underground. The Victorian Court of Appeals subsequently rejected a bid by Google to overturn the ruling.

From Google’s perspective, at issue here is one of the fundamental building blocks of the internet. “A hyperlink is not, in and of itself, the communication of that to which it links,” the company contends in its submission to the High Court. If the 2020 judgment is left to stand, Google claims it will make it “liable as the publisher of any matter published on the web to which its search results provide a hyperlink,” including news stories that come from reputable sources. In its defense, the company points to a 2011 ruling from the Supreme Court of Canada that held a hyperlink by itself is never a publication of defamatory material.

We’ve reached out to Google for comment.

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Note: This article have been indexed to our site. We do not claim legitimacy, ownership or copyright of any of the content above. To see the article at original source Click Here

Speedy Tail 2.0 Cat Toy, Turbo Tail 2.0 Cat, Smart Interactive Cat Toy Ball for Indoor Cats, Automatic Cat Rolling Ball Toy, Cat Self Moving Toy, Speedytail 2.0 Cat Toy

(67)

$13.99 (as of January 20, 2025 19:18 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

Citylife 17 QT Plastic Storage Box with Removable Tray Craft Organizers and Storage Clear Storage Container for Organizing Bead, Tool, Sewing, Playdoh

(1076)

$34.99 (as of January 20, 2025 19:24 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

Personalized Custom Wood Name Sign, Nursery Name Sign, Family Name Signs, Choice of Size & Fonts!

(3346)

$6.99 (as of January 20, 2025 19:55 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

GONGGI GAMES Korean Squid Traditional Play Game Catching Toy, Gonggi Set Squid Gong Gi Game Korean Jack Set (5pc)

$9.97 (as of January 20, 2025 19:18 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

GE XWFE Refrigerator Water Filter, Genuine Replacement Filter, Certified to Reduce Lead, Sulfur, and 50+ Other Impurities, Replace Every 6 Months for Best Results, Pack of 1

(31862)

$49.80 (as of January 20, 2025 19:55 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)