Local business owners across the globe are grappling with a troubling digital trend: thousands of Google reviews suddenly vanishing without warning. As trust in Google’s review system wanes, questions are being raised about the reliability of the platform’s artificial intelligence and the broader implications for businesses and consumers.
For many businesses, Google reviews serve as a cornerstone for building online credibility. Yet, a study by SEO tool GMBapi, titled "Deleted Google Reviews: AI vs. Legal Removals", has revealed that Google’s fight against fraudulent reviews is inadvertently penalizing legitimate ones. The report analyzed data spanning tens of thousands of businesses from January to July 2025, showing a marked increase in reviews being flagged and removed.
Google’s artificial intelligence, designed to combat fake reviews and spam activity, has been overly aggressive, often deleting genuine five-star reviews. The system flags reviews based on several factors, including public WiFi usage, unusual account activity, or overly generic phrasing. As a result, some businesses are seeing their hard-earned positive feedback vanish. The study notes, "Positive reviews that sound too similar or come from accounts with little prior activity are more likely to vanish, even when they’re real."
The problem is not confined to new reviews. Google’s algorithm has been conducting retroactive audits, deleting reviews that are over two years old. In sensitive industries like healthcare, the impact is even more pronounced. According to GMBapi, more than 50% of deleted ratings in the medical field are five-star reviews, reflecting the algorithm’s heightened caution in regulated areas.
The sudden purge of reviews has left business owners scrambling to recover lost ratings. Google’s already strained appeal system is now struggling under the weight of increased complaints, leading to extended response times for resolution. This backlog has frustrated many entrepreneurs, who see their online reputations damaged through no fault of their own.
While artificial intelligence is the culprit in English-speaking countries like the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, the issue takes a legal turn in Germany. There, strict defamation laws have created an entirely different dynamic. Businesses in Germany are increasingly turning to legal service providers to force the removal of negative reviews, such as one- and two-star ratings.
To avoid costly legal disputes, Google often complies with these requests. This practice, however, has created an imbalance in the system. One German user expressed their frustration on Google Maps’ support forum: "I have been a local guide for many years now, but I am starting to look elsewhere. To me, ratings and reviews are becoming increasingly useless, because any complaint against a rating invariably leads to it being taken down, no matter how baseless the claim is."
The study underscores the extent of the issue in Germany, noting that 2.19% of all reviews have been deleted since July 2024, with deletions accelerating after March 2025. Among the one-star reviews removed, nearly all disappeared within 50 days of being posted. This trend has created a "pay-to-play" environment where businesses with resources to challenge reviews can unfairly shape their online reputations.
The widespread removal of reviews is eroding trust in Google’s local search ecosystem. When legitimate positive reviews vanish due to algorithmic errors and negative reviews are removed through legal pressure, the average rating for businesses becomes less reflective of real-world experiences.
For business owners, the shift is forcing a change in strategy. Soliciting reviews is no longer enough - monitoring and safeguarding them has become a critical part of maintaining an online reputation. The loss of user-generated content also impacts search engine rankings, as the keywords embedded in reviews play a significant role in Google’s algorithms.
Ultimately, these developments raise concerns about the future reliability of Google’s review platform. As the line between legitimate moderation and overreach blurs, consumers and businesses alike are left questioning the trustworthiness of the system they once relied on.
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