How to Remove Reviews of 'jpnumber (Japanese Phone Number Search)

When you search for a company name or phone number on search engines like Google, you may come across posts from so-called phone number review sites. These are review sites where people post information about specific phone numbers, such as who owns the number and what kind of calls they receive. A prime example of this is jpnumber (JP Number – Japanese Phone Number Search).

On these sites, there may be instances of negative reviews, such as complaints about nuisance calls from a particular number. At the same time, information about the company using the number, such as “This number belongs to Company XX,” may also be registered. Therefore, there is a risk that negative posts about your company may become visible to users when they search for your company name on Google.

Furthermore, reviews posted on jpnumber (JP Number – Japanese Phone Number Search) are not only accessed via search engines but also viewed through smartphone apps. If you install the free app released by jpnumber (Japanese Phone Number Search) on your smartphone, you can check reviews about the incoming number directly from the incoming call screen.

Given these points, there may be cases where negative posts about your company’s phone number have been made on jpnumber (Japanese Phone Number Search), and you need to consider measures such as deletion. But how should you go about implementing such measures? And when should you consult a lawyer?

JP Number (JPナンバー・Japanese Phone Number Search) and Smartphone App

As mentioned above, JP Number (Japanese Phone Number Search) is a review site where users can post about the business using a particular phone number and the content of calls from that number. It is generally a very useful site, with phone numbers used by credit card companies for account verification, for example, also registered.

If you have a missed call from an unknown number on your smartphone, it can be a bit scary to call back immediately. However, if you Google the phone number and reach a page like this, you can determine whether it’s a call you need to return. You can also enter the phone number or company name on the JP Number (Japanese Phone Number Search) site and perform a search.

Furthermore, JP Number (Japanese Phone Number Search) has also released a free smartphone app. If you install this app on your smartphone, you can check the company name and reviews from the incoming call screen, as mentioned above.

However, there is a risk that if a review says something like “It’s a sales call and it’s annoying,” people may stop answering or returning calls from that number. Moreover, since JP Number (Japanese Phone Number Search) is quite strong in terms of SEO, the phone number page may appear at the top of a company name search. This means that people trying to research the company may see reviews saying “This company makes annoying sales calls.”

What are Negative Reviews Posted on jpnumber (JP Number – Japanese Phone Number Search)?

On jpnumber (JP Number – Japanese Phone Number Search), posts are made about what kind of calls come from a particular phone number. For example, the following types of posts can be considered negative comments about a phone number.

Reviews Claiming the Call is Related to Fraud or Other Crimes

This refers to posts claiming that calls have been received that are fraudulent, such as remittance fraud or one-click fraud. Of course, if such fraudulent activities are indeed taking place, these posts are legitimate and serve the public interest. However, there are cases where such posts are made based on misunderstanding or malice when a call is made to a customer who is actually in arrears. If a company is falsely accused of criminal activity, it can be said that the company will suffer significant damage to its business unless the misinformation is promptly removed.

Reviews Claiming the Call is a Sales Call

There are cases where reviews are posted saying, “I received a sales call from this number,” when a company is making push sales calls to prospective customers they have collected themselves.

Like the above, as long as these posts are true, they can be said to serve the public interest. However, there are cases where a customer who has made an inquiry forgets the fact of the inquiry and posts a review saying it was an annoying sales call when a return call is made. Especially in the case of bulk requests for information on point apps or point services, there are many cases where the customer does not remember “which company they gave their phone number to and made an inquiry to.” If they are then labeled as a “nuisance call,” the company may have no choice but to consider the review as damaging.

Baseless Slander, Rumor Damage Posts, etc.

Unfortunately, jpnumber (JP Number – Japanese Phone Number Search) is also used like an anonymous bulletin board. In other words, beyond the “content of the call from that phone number,” there are cases where slanderous posts against the company in question or rumor posts against the company’s officers and employees are made. It should be the same as in other anonymous bulletin boards, such as 5channel (formerly 2channel), that such posts should be deleted.

https://monolith.law/reputation/deletionrequest-for-2chand5ch[ja]

How to Remove Reviews that Constitute Defamation

When you click on the trash bin icon displayed in the top right corner of the review information on jpnumber (JP Number – Japanese Phone Number Search), a “Deletion Request” page will appear.

As stated on the page, you will need to provide the following information:

• Phone number of the post: The phone number where the defamatory review was posted, such as “03-6262-3245”
• Posting time: The date and time when the defamatory review was posted, such as “2019/11/04 13:35:27”
• Reason for deletion: As mentioned below

You will need to send this information via email to the address provided on the page.

What are removable defamatory reviews?

The simplest reason for removal is a review that violates the terms of use set by jpnumber (JP Number – Japan Phone Number Search). The terms of use (User Guide) of jpnumber (JP Number – Japan Phone Number Search) include the following:

Criteria for Review Removal
Inappropriate content: Do not post reviews that contain illegal content or links to such content. In addition to these types of reviews, reviews that include plagiarism or copies from other sites may also be subject to removal.
Advertising and spam: Do not use reviews for advertising, post identical or similar reviews to multiple stores or companies, post false reviews with the intention of manipulating ratings, or include links to other websites.
Issues related to interests: Valuable reviews are unbiased and honest. Regardless of the motive, biased reviews lose their credibility.
Personal information: In accordance with our privacy policy, reviews that contain personal full names, addresses, or other information that can identify specific individuals are subject to removal.

jpnumber User Guide

“Illegal content” is likely to mean posts that violate the law. This becomes a legal matter and is a bit complicated, so we will discuss it later. In practice, it can be difficult to properly write the claim that a certain review violates the law without consulting a lawyer, as this is a narrow sense of legal practice.

However, plagiarism, copying from other sites, information that can identify individuals, and biased reviews are also prohibited under the terms of use, so

• This review is a copy of an article from my blog and was posted without permission
• This review unlawfully discloses the name of a private residence
• This review is defamatory and discriminates without basis

It is often possible to take measures to remove such “reasons for removal” without necessarily consulting a lawyer.

What is Defamatory and Illegally Removable Reviews

The issue is “illegal content” in terms of the terms of use. The first thing to consider for review information that may be defamatory or damaging to a company’s reputation is defamation (infringement of the right to honor). Defamation is established when:

1. A specific matter is written
2. It is negative for the company
3. It contradicts the truth

For example, in the case mentioned above, if a customer who requested materials was called in response and was told “annoying sales call”, then:

1. The phrase “annoying sales call” implies a specific meaning that an unsolicited push-type sales call was made
2. Such sales calls are subject to certain legal restrictions, and it is disadvantageous for the company to be thought of as a company that makes such calls
3. Our company only makes calls to customers who have requested materials, and does not make unsolicited push-type sales calls

Such arguments would be made. Details on the requirements for defamation are explained in the following article.

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

Not only for “sales calls”, but also for other defamatory and rumor damage cases. However, it is often difficult to construct such arguments and negotiate removal through legal discussions if you are not familiar with the law. It can be said that there are cases where consultation with a lawyer can lead to smoother removal.

https://monolith.law/reputation/black-companies-dafamation[ja]

https://monolith.law/reputation/delationrequest-for-defamation[ja]

Court Procedures in the Event of Failed Email Deletion

If negotiations for deletion via email fail, it becomes necessary to seek deletion through the court.

Deletion of review information on jpnumber (JP Number – Japanese Phone Number Search) is not a time-consuming litigation process, but can be achieved through a swift provisional disposition procedure. In the case of provisional dispositions, it is often the case that if you consult with a lawyer who has expertise in reputational damage control, deletion can be achieved within 2-3 months from the time of request.

In the case of provisional dispositions, in addition to the legal claims mentioned above, evidence to support those claims is also required. For example, in the case of the above-mentioned document request, you would need to submit as evidence:

• Web pages indicating that you accept document requests and may make phone calls at that time
• Customer management databases related to prospective customers who have made document requests
• Internal phone manuals, etc.

And make claims such as, “Our company clearly states that we may make phone calls when we receive document requests, and we do indeed make phone calls when we receive such requests, but we prohibit push-type sales in any other form through manuals, etc.” Proving such claims can be quite difficult without the assistance of a lawyer.

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

Identifying the Poster of Defamatory Reviews

In particular, when groundless defamatory posts or rumor-induced damage posts are continuously made, and when there are many malicious reviews, you can request a lawyer to take a measure called a sender information disclosure request. A sender information disclosure request is a measure to request the disclosure of information such as the IP address of the review poster.

JP Number (Japanese Phone Number Search) is a site where anyone can post reviews anonymously, for free, and without user registration. Therefore, like anonymous bulletin boards, there may be cases where false information about the company is posted by individuals who hold a grudge against the company. Even in such cases, if the information such as the poster’s IP address is identified, there is a possibility to identify the poster.

The process of identifying the poster is a bit complicated. If the poster is ultimately identified, you can claim damages for the attorney’s fees required for the identification and compensation for non-pecuniary damage (in the case of a company). The flow of these procedures is explained in detail in the following article.

https://monolith.law/reputation/disclosure-of-the-senders-information[ja]

Summary

As we have seen, while JPNumber (Japanese Phone Number Search) is a convenient site, it is unfortunate that there are not a few cases of slander and reputational damage based on misunderstandings or malice. There may be cases where it is necessary to consider procedures for deletion and identification of the poster using the court, either by requesting deletion via email or by hiring a lawyer.

Legal claims such as defamation, which we explained in this article, are often difficult to make without the help of a lawyer. If you are troubled by reputational damage, it is important to consult with a lawyer who has expertise in this area.