Germany's Former First Lady Sues Google for 'Prostitute' Algorithm: Whose Side Are You On?

by AdriHead Posted 2012/09/12 22:21:28

Related Topics: Germany, Google, Bettina Wulff, First Lady, Google Search

579 votes
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	Team Bettina Wulff!	210 votes	36%
	Team Google!	369 votes	64%

Bettina Wulff, Germany's former first lady, is not a prostitute -- and she want you to know it. The wife of former German President Christian Wulff is suing Google over its autocomplete function while searching, which shows the words "prostitute" and "escort" after Wulff's name is typed out.

The former German first lady says she's never been a prostitute but that rumors circulated about her allegedly racy past around 2006, most likely to harm her husband's political career. Wulff may not be a prostitute, but do you think the lawsuit is fair? Or is Google being sued for all the wrong reasons?

NYDAILYNEWS.COM reports:
Germany’s former first lady is not happy with her Google results. Bettina Wulff, 38, is suing the search giant over their autocomplete function, which she argues perpetuates rumors that she was once a prostitute.

38 suing search giant autocomplete function argues perpetuates rumors prostitute

+11

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Mog of War 2012/09/12 22:29:44

Team Google!

+12
Google's autocomplete feature is base on popular searches. Deal with it. Google could probably filter this from their autocomplete, and likely will, so this lawsuit is pointless.
>> See Replies

More polls by AdriHead

Faith ~... to Bill 2012/09/16 20:39:33

How are they picking on German people?

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Bill to Faith ~... 2012/09/17 12:40:56

Just kidding. Just threw it out there. I figured if I can be a racist because I disagree with Obama's policies that Google can be anti-German because of the "auto-complete". It makes about as much sense.

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Watermu... to Bill 2012/09/16 22:36:32

Give us proof

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Bill to Watermu... 2012/09/17 12:41:08

Just kidding. Just threw it out there. I figured if I can be a racist because I disagree with Obama's policies that Google can be anti-German because of the "auto-complete". It makes about as much sense.

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click1695 2012/09/16 13:04:37

Team Google!

Lol-- blame the auto-complete. Unless she wants to sue the general public too.

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harry 2012/09/16 12:56:34 (edited)

Team Bettina Wulff!

+1
I suppose she has just the same equal right as anyone else. Take Free Speech, for example. I'm lookin at at her picture here. I definitely would not kick her out of bed

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Bill to harry 2012/09/18 12:42:36

RAVE: Especially for the last sentence. She is HOT.

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La 2012/09/16 06:58:22

Team Google!

Um, someone didn't sit in Google's head office and make this happen. It just happens automatically when something is searched for so many times.

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nbarton2 2012/09/16 05:01:41

Team Bettina Wulff!

+1
F Google and it's auto complete function I hate that thing.

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America... to nbarton2 2012/09/16 10:41:35

+1
Then ignore it? All it does is focus on the most searched things using what's already been searched by everyone else, it's not like it's giving personal suggestions.

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All American 2012/09/16 00:08:33

Team Google!

+2
Sue the person who put her name and escort or prostitute in the title of their web pages. Google doesn't control their content.

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DP 2012/09/15 20:51:27

Team Google!

She needs to suck it up. Google is love. Google does whatever. Google is Google.

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♥K14 2012/09/15 20:43:37

Team Google!

+2
It's not googles fault people search it.

Plus google are pretty awesome.

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gregaj7 2012/09/15 16:45:05

Team Bettina Wulff!

I will always stand against Google, as they've established themselves as anti-privacy.

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Hula girl - Friends not Fol... 2012/09/15 16:08:54

Team Google!

+1
I don't appreciate some of what Google does to us either.

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Red_Horse to Hula gi... 2012/09/15 16:10:17
firozali a mulla 2012/09/15 15:49:03

Team Bettina Wulff!

I love prostitutes as they give you the pleasure your wives never give but going to press that is better It gives the policemen a chance to see the evidence and that is what they are paid for I thank you Firozali A.Mulla DBA

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santa6642 2012/09/15 12:42:22

Team Bettina Wulff!

google sucks

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Russian 2012/09/15 10:18:00

Team Bettina Wulff!

DEATH TO GOOGLE!!!
I hate google.

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Derbyhat 2012/09/15 09:43:07

Team Google!

I feel sorry for anyone born in the twentieth century who has the name O.J. Simpson, or Barney Frank. Likely nice guys taking heat two bad guys, like two testicles in the same scrotum!

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Ann 2012/09/15 05:08:32

Team Google!

One things for sure we get news untouched by the government!

That's a good thing.

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fortyca... to Ann 2012/09/16 19:32:58

Well, not completely, but still mostly in the US. But not at all in, e.g. China, where google filters searches at the direction of that criminal government.

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Christopher Kirchen 2012/09/15 03:15:02

Team Google!

If she looks like that she could be one all right >:)

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actionjksn 2012/09/15 02:58:25

Team Google!

Bettina Wulf!!! Hubba Hubba, Id buy that for a dollar. What a hottie looking little Milf she is.

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Soundstorm 2012/09/15 02:27:36 (edited)

Team Bettina Wulff!

Google's algorithm at times only succeeds at being a grind house for gossip or spamming partisan agendas. The once awesome Google has degenerated into sleaze.
And YOU let it happen, People!

And while I know absolutely nothing about this lady I've chosen to take her side because she simply looks like a babe!

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AnonRanGER to Soundstorm 2012/09/15 13:12:51

+1
"And while I know absolutely nothing about this lady I've chosen to take her side because she simply looks like a babe!"

Should have put that at the beginning so we knew the rest wasn't worth reading.

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Soundstorm to AnonRanGER 2012/10/03 08:30:37

When I detect misogyny I always know worthless degeneracy will follow.

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AnonRanGER to Soundstorm 2012/10/10 14:02:33
Soundstorm to AnonRanGER 2012/10/13 22:13:12

Which explains your reaction to her looks.

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AnonRanGER to Soundstorm 2012/11/07 12:23:41
America... to Soundstorm 2012/09/16 10:43:15

+1
Google hasn't degenerated into sleaze, it's user base degenerated into sleaze

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Soundstorm to America... 2012/10/03 08:31:43

You give unsupervised children the ultimate toy and what do they do......

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America... to Soundstorm 2012/10/03 15:20:53

+1
From what's going on here, it looks like what they do is ask questions about rumors they hear.

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Soundstorm to America... 2012/10/04 06:47:26

More like they spread the most scurrilous ones.

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America... to Soundstorm 2012/10/04 06:59:54

I disagree.

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JustBeingAtPeace 2012/09/15 01:39:45

Team Google!

Errrr,....yeah lol

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Dawn 2012/09/15 01:23:39 (edited)

Team Bettina Wulff!

They removed the racist autocompletes. It's slander(liable? not sure on the spelling sorry) and it's illegal here in the states where I'm assuming Google is based. I'm pretty sure Internet entities have to comply to the laws of the country in which they are based :P

Also why's she so upset? It's like saying someone's occupation is a janitor when they're anything else. I don't understand why it's considered such a shameful occupation.

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Adam 2012/09/15 01:14:18

Team Google!

+3
Before the lawsuit, a person could search Google for, "Bettina Wulff escort", and find the information that would show that there is no evidence supporting the claim that she was ever a prostitute. She came out of the search looking innocent. Now that she has sued, the first set of results are all articles about her suing Google over autocorrect saying she was an escort. This makes her look rather guilty. Congratulations, Bettina Wulff, for suing the people who could clear your good name and making yourself look guilty. You probably should have done a little research first.

Also, though it has been said, Google doesn't handle the auto-complete, its automated based on past searches. You might as well complain complain that 3+3=6. Literally, its just a math problem being completed.

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BuggaBoo 2012/09/15 01:06:42

Team Bettina Wulff!

good for nothing photoshop has given way to so many lies... its disgusting.
BW has a right to sue them for lying about her and grabbing sources from everywhere
PHOTOSHOP: NEVER HAPPENED

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AnonRanGER to BuggaBoo 2012/09/15 13:14:08

+1
"BW has a right to sue them for lying about her "

Google didn't lie. Do you understand the situation at all?

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