Couple attacked in Cape Town crime hotspot sue Google for negligence

Last year there were a series of attacks on tourists in Nyanga. Photo: Werner Dieterich/Alami

Google said it could not be contained. is responsible for not distracting drivers from crime hotspots after it was sued by holidaymakers who were robbed and seriously injured while following its maps app.

The tech giant said it couldn't bear responsibility for the actions of attackers and should not be forced to declare places prohibited.

Jason Zoladz had his jaw smashed with a brick and then dragged from his rental car at gunpoint with his wife Catherine as they used Google Maps to get to Cape Town. International Airport last October.

A Los Angeles couple filed a lawsuit against Google in a California court, alleging that the Nyanga area, where they were directed by Google Maps, was a hot spot for violent attacks on tourists.

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The pair allege that Google was negligent in continuing to send tourists along the route despite warnings from US and South African authorities.

“Gangs of robbers ambushed tourists traveling in rental cars” and “attacked cars by throwing bricks or large stones through car windows, brutally assaulting passengers and stealing valuables,” according to the lawsuit filed earlier this year.

British surgeon killed in Nyanga

The attack on the couple was one of a series of attacks on tourists in Nyanga last year. Two months earlier, Kar Khao Teo, a British surgeon, was killed in the area after reportedly monitoring his satnav during a taxi strike.

Walter Fischel, another American tourist, also said is suing Google after he was attacked in Nyanga last year.

His belongings and rental car were stolen after his sat nav suggested a shortcut through an area known for its violence .

Mr Fishel said last month: “Before I came to Cape Town, Google Maps already knew Nyanga was a problem. area, but it was still included on the route map.

“Why it wasn’t removed a long time ago, I don’t understand. They have caused serious damage to my mental health and healing process.”

Late last year, Google announced it was no longer rerouting drivers through Nyanga, but has now said it has no legal responsibility to help its users avoid routes through crime hotspots, News24 reported.

B previously filed To end Zoladz's case before it goes to trial, Google says it has no control over the areas.

The company said it can't recommend against traveling in major urban areas without have a “deep” impact on them. , while the lawsuit would punish Google for «speaking truthfully» when providing precise directions to the airport.

Insisting that Google ban certain routes to protect users would also effectively give the government the ability to control free access to airport. movement of people and ostracize the community, the company said.

Google's statement said: «An app developer seeking to avoid plaintiffs' theory of liability would have to cross out all such areas marked as 'unsafe and prohibited.' be it in South Africa, the US or anywhere else.

“The impact on freedom — and on those 'poor neighborhoods' in 'urban areas' — will be enormous.”