One in three restaurants in major German cities deletes Google Maps reviews, nationwide sample shows

Google's new notice

Since late April 2026, Google Maps has been displaying a notice directly below the ratings summary on German business profiles when reviews have been removed "due to defamation complaints." The label does not affect search ranking or local placement, Google states, but serves as a transparency measure prompted by a high volume of defamation claims under German law. Defamation, as defined by Google, encompasses false statements of fact and unjustified expressions of opinion; businesses can also argue the reviewer was never a customer.

How widespread the deletions are

A dpa spot-check of more than 3,700 restaurant and hotel profiles across several German cities found that the share of hospitality businesses with deleted reviews ranges from 11 to 30 percent. A separate Hessian analysis, covering over 850 online entries, showed roughly 17 percent of hospitality businesses had reviews removed, with individual profiles showing between one and more than 200 deleted reviews.

The geographic gradient is steep. In Berlin, Cologne and Frankfurt, roughly one in three profiles carried a deletion notice. Munich and Nuremberg showed around one in four, while Leipzig and Hamburg averaged roughly one in five. The rate dropped to 15 percent in Dresden and Magdeburg, to roughly 9 percent in the Odenwald region, to 8 percent in Fulda, and down to about 5 percent in Lutherstadt Wittenberg and Stendal. Gisbert Kern, managing director of Dehoga Hessen, pointed out that the higher incidence in metropolitan areas likely reflects fiercer competition.

Why businesses delete

Most businesses who responded to dpa inquiries said they only flag reviews they consider fake, insulting, or demonstrably false. Thomas Lerike, marketing chief for the Hotel Palace Berlin, stated the hotel requests removal only for spam, bot activity, provably untrue claims, or reviews based on no actual stay. Several restaurant owners described sporadic attempts to pressure them with threats of bad ratings.

We only report reviews for removal when they violate Google's guidelines: for spam, bot or fake reviews, demonstrably false claims, or reviews not based on an actual stay.

Some businesses cite structural reasons. The Leipzig restaurant Macis said it inherited a large number of negative reviews after taking over an insolvent predecessor and had those erased. Managing director Nancy Naumann-Hirt added that the restaurant also received negative reviews during the coronavirus period, sometimes from people unhappy with state mandates rather than the dining experience.

What the industry says

Dehoga national managing director Jürgen Benad welcomed the new transparency but cautioned against presuming guilt. He argued that fair criticism should remain online even when uncomfortable, while fake reviews and insults are legitimate grounds for removal. Kern echoed this, noting that deleted reviews are often those that break platform rules or come from people who were never guests.

Online reviews are an important, often decisive part of a business's external image. Fair criticism should stay, even when it is uncomfortable for a business.

Professor Steffen Kroschwald from the Institute for Consumer Research and Sustainable Consumption at Pforzheim University said Google reviews carry significant economic weight. The star rating, he noted, is often the first thing consumers see and plays a decisive role in their choices, translating directly into demand and employment effects.

Germany's outlier role

Germany stands out in the European data. According to an EU transparency database compiled under the Digital Services Act, more than 756,500 Google Maps posts were removed for illegal content across Europe in the first half of 2026. Nearly 99.9 percent of those deletions concerned Germany. While the notice does not penalise businesses in search results, the sheer volume of German removals suggests a uniquely active landscape of review litigation and defamation complaints.