Google accused by government of doing legal evil

THE AUSTRALIAN Competition and Consumer Association (ACCC) has started legal proceedings in the Sydney Federal Court against Google Inc, Google Ireland Ltd, and Google Australia.

The body alleges that Google, together with Trading Post Australia, behaved in misleading and deceptive conduct over sponsored links in 2005.

Google is alleged to have failed to distinguish sponsored links from organic search results, and therefore is or has engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct breaching section 52 of the Trade Practice Act 1974.

It wants Trading Posts Australia and Google to introduce trade practices compliance programmes.

A case will be heard in court on the 21st of August 2007 before one Justice Allsop, with the ACCC seeking injunctions stopping Google from publishing sponsored links where one doesn't exist, and costs. The ACCC also wants Google to publish a notice on its website. µ

L'INQ
ACCC release