Model fights Google, Yahoo over photo links to porn sites

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Attorneys for Google and Yahoo appeared in a Buenos Aires court to respond to accusations that searches on their websites link the name and photos of a popular Argentina model to sexually-oriented websites.

Mar?a Bel?n Rodr?guez is suing the search engines, alleging they linked her name with terms like "sex" and "pornography."

Rodr?guez told CNN her pictures would be wrongly used mainly in two ways: An unauthorized picture could be used to lure Internet users to an X-rated site, taking advantage of her popularity in Argentina, or within adult websites that contain pornographic images of other people.

Rodr?guez, 30, originally sued Google and Yahoo in 2006. After an eight-year legal battle, the case has worked its way up to Argentina's Supreme Court.

In 2010, the model was awarded a combined judgment against both search engines of 120,000 Argentine pesos, almost $15,000. The search engines appealed and a higher court later lowered the amount to about $6,200.

Earlier this week, Rodr?guez told CNN the use of her image by sexually-oriented websites has deeply damaged her reputation.

 

At the court hearing Thursday, attorneys for Google and Yahoo suggested search engines are neutral platforms that don't create or regulate content on the Internet, and therefore, are not responsible for how the model's image is used by third parties.

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