Zomato Founder Deepinder Goyal Starts Twitter Frenzy Against Google

Founder and CEO of Zomato Deepinder Goyal is kicking up a storm on Twitter, claiming that Google is ambushing Zomato’s search results. In the tweet that set the ball rolling, he posted a photograph of a Google search result of Downtown Diners & Living Beer Café in Gurgaon. Under the Zomato listing, there is a snippet directing users to rate the café on Google reviews, with a link to the Google+ page. Goyal questions whether this feature isn’t “all kinds of illegal/unethical?”

Google ambushing Zomato's search results. Isn't this all kinds of illegal/unethical? CC: @RajanAnandan pic.twitter.com/peNPNbG0XL

— Deepinder Goyal (@deepigoyal) August 27, 2015

In the tweet, Goyal tags Rajan Anandan, the vice president and managing director of Google in South East Asia and India. While Anandan has not yet responded, Goyal posted a follow up tweet, claiming that he once spoke to a Google employee who confirmed that such actions were not within their guidelines.

@peeteeonyou @RajanAnandan A senior Google exec once told me that this is not within their guidelines, "a product mgr must have gone rogue".

— Deepinder Goyal (@deepigoyal) August 27, 2015

The Twitterati Respond

Meanwhile, the rest of Twitter has differing issues on the opinion. While some believe that the move was unethical, but not illegal others are choosing to lash out at Zomato or expressing their support for Google.

https://twitter.com/jdev1977/status/636845604572921856

@deepigoyal unethical maybe, but not illegal unless the search term contains "Zomato" or uses any of your trademarks. Can approach CCI.

— Nishant Gambhir (@madnish30) August 27, 2015

@deepigoyal @vmalu @RajanAnandan no it is not. Not yet. You can however sue them and see.

— Suyash Manjul (@ShortOfLaw) August 27, 2015

Goyal’s original tweet, which has been pinned to the top of his Twitter page was posted eight hours ago. Till present, it has been retweeted 75 times and favourited 56 times.

On an interesting side note, Google has recently indicated that it may be stepping up its food presence on the internet by encouraging some users to upload photographs of restaurants they go to through Google Maps. Is ‘ambushing’ search results further proof that they want to strengthen their food presence? We’re waiting on their response to see.