Gray My Name, Google

Fascinating case down under where Milorad "Michael" Trkulja won a High Court ruling to be able to sue Google. When Trkulja was shot in 2004, Google displayed pictures of underworld figures along his. Additionally, Search Suggest was displaying queries that weren't so flattering. All in all, Google had connected him with the underworld and Trkulja didn't like this.

What are the takeaways from all of this?

Google, You’ve Been Served

Don’t think this will trigger an avalanche of lawsuits against the Search Engine giant. First of all, Trkulja has only won the right to proceed with a lawsuit - there is no guarantee this will be successful.

Secondly, there are a unique set of circumstances here. We're only hearing about this case because it went to the highest court in the land. 99 times out of 100 disputes such as this won't go anywhere near there.

Streisand Effect

“I’m not a criminal, I’ve never been involved and I will make sure these people are not going to ruin my family – I have grandchildren.”

These were the words that motivated Trkulja, but at what cost?

The intention to take on Google and seek justice is a noble one, but never forget the power of the Streisand effect which is when an attempt to hide, remove, or censor a piece of news has the opposite impact, resulting in the news being publicised and disseminated far more widely.

What was the search volume for Milorad "Michael" Trkulja when these images were appearing? Now everyone knows who he is and everyone knows this happened. He may be successful in clearing his name, but in doing so, the waters may have become muddied.

He may be successful in proving to all he's not a criminal, but in doing so he's going to be the guy who sued Google for implying he was one.

The Power of One

Google may have escaped recent scrutiny when Facebook came under the microscope, but people are now really starting to grasp the omnipresence of Google. The company that no longer says "Don't Be Evil" just made 31 Billion in a quarter. The power of the search results and the traffic that they can send your way can make or break you. (While you can be broken if you don’t receive any traffic, some sites also break under a mass influx of visits)

We are now living in the Matrix where everyone is hooked in via their desktop, tablet, and/or phone. Google knows more about us than we do.

Cover Up

Whatever happens here, the pendulum shouldn’t swing too far the other way where entities can simply request and be granted their information be removed from the index. There should be no censorship and people deserve to know all the relevant information.

If you are considering going into business with someone or you’re thinking of going on a date with a guy who asked you out, you will Google them and if there is bad stuff written about them online, this is exactly the type of thing you want to find out about them.

Yes they may have changed since then and be a different person, but what if they haven’t?

What Happens Next

Google has to be more open for resolving situations like this without it going to court. The ability to verify ownership of the knowledge panel is a terrific step in the right direction.

As for the best and most effective way to control your search results - that’s a power that you’ve always had - stay out of trouble.