How to Remove Negative Reviews on Career Connection (Japanese 'KyariKone')

Cariconne is an information site that is useful for job changes and job hunting. You can search by company name and check the reputation and reviews of that company. Among them, there may be negative reviews posted that could damage the company’s reputation.

In this article, we will explain how to remove a negative review posted on Cariconne.

What is Kyarikone?

Kyarikone is an employment and job change information site operated by Globalway Inc. As of September 2020, the number of registered companies exceeds 620,000. Users can register for free, input career information or post reviews, and thereby gain access to view other reviews.

Examples of Negative Reviews

Here are some examples of negative reviews posted on Career Connection (Japanese job review site).

• I was forced to resign due to the power harassment from Manager A. I reported it to the department head, but no action was taken. A has an abnormal personality and has caused several others to quit as well.
• I was verbally abused during the interview with comments like, “I’m surprised you thought you could apply with such a background. Get out.”

Such reviews can damage a company’s reputation and potentially reduce the number of job seekers. It is important to consider requesting removal before the damage spreads.

Reviews Subject to Deletion Based on Terms of Use

According to the terms of use of Career Connection (Japanese: キャリコネ), the following are prohibited:

Terms of Use for Career Connection ID Lounge Company Surveys
https://id.careerconnection.jp/rules/survey/index.html#anchor_3[ja]

A review stating, “I was forced to resign due to the harassment from Manager A. I reported it to the department head, but no action was taken. A has an abnormal personality and has caused several others to quit,” is likely to fall under Article 3 of the Terms of Use, which prohibits “posts or other actions that infringe or may infringe on the copyrights, reputation, privacy, or other rights of others.” However, according to the “Guidelines for User-Submitted Content,” the company does not respond to requests for deletion of posts from companies unless the information is proven to be inaccurate. Therefore, there is a possibility that the post will not be deleted unless it can be proven that the information is inaccurate.

Guidelines for User-Submitted Content
https://careerconnection.jp/src/about_cc_credibility.html[ja]

Request for Deletion Based on Terms of Use

If you believe a review violates our Terms of Use, you can submit a request for deletion. Please fill out the deletion request form below, including your company name, phone number, the name of the person in charge, and the reason for the deletion request. You will need to provide an explanation and evidence that substantiates your claim of a violation of the Terms of Use, such as submitting relevant documents. Reviews will only be deleted if the operating company determines that there has been a violation of the Terms of Use based on these submissions.

Deletion Request Form
https://careerconnection.jp/src/reviewDel.html[ja]

Request for Removal on the Grounds of Illegality

If a review is not removed even after a request for removal has been made through the removal request form, you can argue that the review is illegal and request its removal through the courts. In cases where illegality is claimed, it is often argued that the review constitutes defamation or an invasion of privacy.

The requirements for defamation are as follows:

• Publicly
• Pointing out facts
• Defaming someone’s reputation

For example, in a case where a review was written stating, “I was loudly berated in the interview with comments like, ‘I can’t believe you thought you could apply with such a background. Get out.'”, if such a fact did not exist, there is a high possibility that it could be recognized as defamation.

On the other hand, if the fact actually exists, there is a possibility that it may not be recognized as defamation. Even if the reputation of an individual or a company is damaged by the review, if there is a public interest in making the fact public, it is not considered illegal. For more details on defamation, please refer to the article below.

https://monolith.law/reputation/defamation[ja]

Request for Deletion through Provisional Disposition

When requesting deletion through a court, it is possible to do so through a procedure called provisional disposition based on the Japanese Civil Preservation Law (民事保全法). While formal litigation can be prolonged, provisional disposition results can be obtained in about 1-2 months. If you request this procedure from a lawyer, the market price for legal fees is said to be,

an initial fee of around 200,000 yen, and a success fee of around 150,000 yen

https://monolith.law/reputation/reputation-lawyers-fee[ja]

It is said.

Furthermore, if you request the deletion of a review and the disclosure of the poster’s IP address at the same time, it is said to be,

an initial fee of around 300,000 yen, and a success fee of around 300,000 yen

https://monolith.law/reputation/reputation-lawyers-fee[ja]

It is said. These amounts are just market prices, so the cost may vary depending on the content and volume of the review.

In order for a deletion request to be granted, it is necessary to prove the illegality of the review. It is quite difficult to claim illegality and gather evidence without the help of a lawyer. If negative reviews are posted on Career Connection, it is recommended to consult with a lawyer. For more details on provisional disposition for deletion, please refer to the following article.

https://monolith.law/reputation/provisional-disposition[ja]

Identifying the Poster

If you have suffered significant damage due to a review, it is possible to identify the poster of the review. On Career Connection, you are required to enter your name and postal code when registering as a member, but it is not guaranteed that malicious posters will register with their real names.

If you can obtain the name and address of the poster through the court, you will also be able to claim damages for the attorney’s fees and other expenses incurred in the process.

For more details on identifying the person who wrote the review, please refer to the article below.

https://monolith.law/reputation/carrierconnection-negative-specific[ja]

Summary

If there are negative reviews posted on Career Connection (KyariKone), you can request their removal through the deletion request form.

However, whether the post is removed or not is at the discretion of the operating company, so there is a possibility that your request may not result in deletion. In such cases, you must pursue the removal request through legal proceedings.

The process of removing a review is not a simple one. If a negative review has been posted on Career Connection, it is advisable to consult with a lawyer who is knowledgeable about defamation on the internet as soon as possible.