- The world football association FIFA has dragged the US technology group Google before the Zurich commercial court.
- FIFA demands that Google is no longer allowed to display certain pages and articles in its search results.
- From FIFA’s point of view, these contents are damaging to reputation and therefore constitute a case of personal injury.
FIFA is specifically concerned about a website that appears in Google search results when people search for the world football association. The site is dedicated exclusively to FIFA and directly attacks its officials, such as FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
From FIFA’s point of view, the site spreads untruths: it is portrayed as a corrupt organisation riddled with mafia structures. The world football association is demanding that Google no longer display these sites in its search results when someone googles FIFA.
Fifa sees personal rights violated
FIFA’s lawyer told SRF News that the world football association has no objections to critical media reports. Unlike other media, the website in question does not follow any rules and its content goes way beyond the mark. This constitutes a violation of personal rights. FIFA is therefore demanding that the site and its articles no longer appear in Google search results.
The US technology company with offices in Zurich takes the position that it is not Google’s job to determine the veracity of the website in question. Furthermore, the page is only displayed far down in the search results. It does not appear within the first ten pages, Google argued in court.
If FIFA gets its way with its demands, it would mean a major problem for Google. It could then be the case that the search engine would have to remove many other websites from its results in the future. This scenario is impossible for the US technology company.
Swiss law is favorable for FIFA
FIFA has its headquarters in Zurich. Google also has a prominent presence in the city with several offices. But that is not the reason why the trial is taking place in Zurich.
Swiss law is more restrictive when it comes to personal injury than other countries, such as the USA or Germany. Not only those who actively spread content that is damaging to reputation can be convicted, but also those who aid and abet it. In this case, that would be Google.
FIFA could have started the process anywhere, but it seems that the world football association is hoping for better chances in Switzerland. The judges are now deliberating on the case. It is unclear when a verdict will be reached.