More “Google Listings” telemarketers — Google sues
Google files lawsuits against firms that it claims mislead businesses regarding their Google listings.
If your phone number is associated with a business, there’s a great chance you’ve been on the receiving end of telemarketing calls or robocalls like this. The caller usually claims to be affiliated with Google or Google itself.
Google has fought back against some of these firms in the past, and it is turning to the courts again in an effort to take stop a number of other firms it alleges are misleading consumers.
The search giant filed one lawsuit in California and two lawsuits in Florida.
The California suit is against Kydia, Inc., d/b/a BeyondMenu. Google alleges (pdf) that the firm is misleading restaurant owners in an effort to get access to their Google listing and link to BeyondMenu’s restaurant ordering service rather than directly to the restaurant’s site.
The Florida lawsuits (pdf, pdf) name the following firms:
Supreme Marketing Group d/b/a Modest Business Solution and d/b/a Claim My Biz
Pointbreak Media LLC, d/b/a Point Break Solutions and Kivanni Marketing
Modern Source Media, LLC
Modern Spotlight Group, LLC
Modern Spotlight, LLC
Perfect Image Online
Looking back at the case filed against Local Lighthouse in 2015, it appears that Local Lighthouse admitted its actions and agreed to not do it anymore…but I don’t see any financial penalty in the judgment (pdf). Unless Google brings down the hammer on firms that do this, they will continue to proliferate.
