01 Aug $19 Trillion Case Against Google Tossed

That’s not a typo. Colin O’Kroley of Cincinnati sued Google for $19 trillion. He claimed the search engine wrongfully suggested he was involved in criminal activity. According to the ABA Tech Journal, a search for O’Kroley’s name brings up something called “Texas Advance Sheet” which reads “indecency …in Trial Court Cause N…Colin O’Kroley v. Pringle.” When one clicks on the search result, it is very clear that O’Kroley’s case has nothing to do with the indecency case.

O’Kroley claimed that Google’s editing of the search results made it liable. They automatically do things like remove spaces and change fonts. But in throwing the case out, the 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals said those are normal editing things and don’t take away Google’s immunity from liability that search engines have for posting content from third parties. But the good news, the article points out, is that now that search result comes much later when looking up O’Kroley on Google. That’s because all the articles about his case against Google are on top of the results. So maybe he got what he wanted!

With all that said, the Internet has the power to really mess things up for people. It’s bad enough how people self-inflict web-based wounds. Here this was completely wrong and nothing the guy could do about it.  Hence an entire industry centered around “reputation management.” Be careful world wide wanderers!