Australian court rules that Google can be compelled to identify anonymous reviewers

A court in Australia has ruled that a dentist who claims he was defamed in a Google review can serve the tech giant with an order to unmask the post’s author.

According to court documents, an anonymous user with the name “CBsm 23” wrote a review of a Melbourne clinic alleging the dentist made a procedure “extremely awkward and uncomfortable” and gave the impression that he “had never done this before.”

Australia’s Federal Court ruled earlier this week that the dentist, Matthew Kabbabe, is able to mail an order to Google in the United States seeking information on the anonymous author including their name, IP address and phone numbers associated with the account, for use in a defamation suit.