Google’s Web Storefronts Mislead Food Orderers, Suit Says (1)

Google LLC was hit with a class complaint Tuesday in a California federal court for allegedly engaging in deceptive online food ordering practices by using the trade names of restaurants without their permission, forcing them to incur substantial costs.

The complaint, filed by Florida-based Mexican restaurant franchisee Left Field Holdings LLC, alleged that Google created unauthorized digital storefront webpages in 2019 that appear when consumers search for restaurants on the platform.

The unauthorized storefront pops up when consumers click a large blue “Order Online” button placed within the restaurant information box that appears to the right in the search results ...