Quackspotting
On the way home from brunch, the wife and I were driving by the usual chiropractic and naturopathy “medical” clinics. We got to talking about how we should picket them to let people know that fake, ineffective medicine is harmful. Picketing is kind of satisfying, but it’s probably not the best way to get the message to the right people. Then, I realized- the one thing that people who are are looking for medical care will probably see is the Google Maps listing for their doctor, and anyone can write a review that will show up right under that listing. What better way to get the message out to people that alternative medicine is bogus? A lot of people don’t even know what homeopathy is, or how ridiculous its claims are. At least this way, it might inspire someone to do a little research. Hell, it could save lives.
There are two issues I can think of- legal ramifications re: libel and Google’s Terms of Service. As I understand libel law in the US, if you sue me for libel, you have to prove that I’m saying something false, which of course I wouldn’t be, since I would be stating only scientific fact. The Terms of Service are a little trickier, the relevant section is here:
…you agree that when using the Products or the Content, you will not:
(a) defame, abuse, harass, stalk, threaten or otherwise violate the legal rights (such as rights of privacy and publicity) of others;
(b) upload, post, email, transmit or otherwise make available any inappropriate, defamatory, obscene, or unlawful content;
As I understand the definition of “defame,” it also requires the statements being made to be false, otherwise it would be impossible for anyone to post negative reviews online, anywhere. It’s possible that someone could claim to be harassed by a negative review, but I’m fairly certain the worst that could happen would be the review getting flagged and removed. Pragmatically, the best way to keep the reviews up would be to maintain a list of reviews so we can mutually “mark as useful.” If you’re interested in participating, check out the Wiki I started to track providers and reviews: http://quackspotting.wikispaces.com/
About the author
Written by gabe
Gabe Ortiz is a systems architect and engineer from Albuquerque, NM.
gabe
October 3, 2010
Homeopaths are low-hanging fruit.
Mary
October 4, 2010
I think you’re in the clear legally. Here’s the most helpful question when you find yourself interpreting contracts and public law:
How miserable can the people I’m pissing off make my life before we get to court and I either back down or stick to my guns, depending on what my lawyer says?