Tycoon can sue Google over ‘search defamation’

A Hong Kong court has ruled that a local tycoon can sue Google for defamation because searches for his name on Google suggest adding the word ‘triad’, Hong Kong’s notorious organised crime groups.

Searches in both English and Chinese for Albert Yeung Sau-shing, the founder and chairman of Hong Kong-based conglomerate Emperor Group, will automatically suggest phrases related to organised crime using Google’s ‘autocomplete’ function.

On Tuesday, the High Court of Hong Kong dismissed Google’s argument that it was not responsible for the autocomplete suggestions related to Yeung and that the court did not have personal jurisdiction over the US search giant.