In short: You get a Kununu review removed by lodging a specific objection with kununu – for example because the author never worked for you or applied to you, asserts false facts, or is insulting. Kununu then has to verify the contact. Under current Hamburg case law, anonymized evidence is often not enough: the author must be verifiable for you, otherwise the review has to be removed. Honest criticism, by contrast, stays up.
A single one-star review can noticeably shape an employer profile – especially at small firms with few reviews. Applicants are reading, and AI assistants also fall back on portals like these when asked about employers, as our guide to the AI company assessment shows.
At the same time, the bar is high. A critical opinion cannot simply be taken down because it is uncomfortable. The good news: since 2024, case law has shifted in favor of employers. Anyone who knows the rules is in a better position than ever when a review's origin is doubtful.
When can you get a Kununu review removed?
Kununu is regarded as the largest employer review platform in the German-speaking world. Reviews can be left anonymously and are not verified automatically. That makes it all the more important to establish up front whether your case stands a chance at all.
In lawyers' assessment, impermissible content includes false statements of fact, abusive criticism (Schmähkritik) and insults. On top of that comes a ground that applies particularly often in practice: the author never had any contact with your company – neither as an employee nor as an applicant or trainee.
Suitable for removal:
- Reviews from people who have neither worked for you nor applied to you – or whom you cannot match to anyone despite checking
- Demonstrably false facts, such as invented incidents or incorrect statements about pay
- Insults, abusive criticism, or naming individual employees in a disparaging way
Not suitable for removal:
- Honest, if harsh, criticism of leadership, the working atmosphere or the organization
- Subjective value judgments such as "chaotic processes" or "poor communication"
- Reviews whose author you clearly recognize as a former employee and whose content is accurate
What have the courts decided about kununu?
The foundation was laid by the Bundesgerichtshof (BGH, Germany's Federal Court of Justice) in 2022 (case no. VI ZR 1244/20) in a case about an online travel portal: a holiday park's objection that the review was not based on any guest contact is in principle sufficient. If the portal does not investigate adequately, the absence of contact is treated as true.
The Oberlandesgericht Hamburg (OLG Hamburg, Hamburg Higher Regional Court) applied these principles to employer portals by decision of 8 February 2024 (case no. 7 W 11/24). Kununu had asked the authors for proof of employment and passed on only anonymized documents to the employer. That was not enough for the court. If the employer cannot identify the author well enough to verify the contact, the employer may demand removal. Data protection is no counter-argument here. The legal basis is the claim for injunctive relief under § 1004 BGB (German Civil Code) by analogy, in conjunction with § 823 Abs. 1 BGB.
Further decisions followed. In August 2024, the Landgericht Hamburg (LG Hamburg, Hamburg Regional Court, case no. 324 O 305/24) ordered kununu by way of an interim decision to delete a review because kununu could not prove the business contact – a breach would have carried a coercive fine (Ordnungsgeld) of up to 250,000 euros. And in an indicative order (Hinweisbeschluss, case no. 7 U 8/25) that became public in 2026, the OLG Hamburg spelled things out further: kununu does not necessarily have to disclose the author's real name. But the author must be made identifiable to the point where the employer can check whether the person actually worked there. Kununu withdrew its appeal, and the review had to be deleted.
Getting a Kununu review removed: step by step
- Secure the review: Take screenshots with the date and URL before you act. ➔ Result: evidence in case the review is edited or proceedings become necessary.
- Check the content and the contact: Compare the period, the department and the account given with your personnel records. Separate facts from opinions. ➔ Result: you know whether you can dispute the contact, refute facts or only reply.
- Lodge a specific objection with kununu: Use the reporting channel for employers and give precise reasons, for example: "We dispute that the author was employed by us in the period stated or applied to us." ➔ Result: kununu has to verify the contact and ask the author for evidence.
- Assess the outcome of the check: If you only receive redacted documents that allow no match, maintain your objection. According to the OLG Hamburg, kununu has to make the author identifiable to the point where you can verify the contact – otherwise the review has to be deleted. ➔ Result: kununu has to improve its evidence or delete the review.
- Enforce it through a lawyer: If the review stays online nonetheless, a law firm specializing in media or employment law can send kununu a cease-and-desist letter and apply for an interim injunction. ➔ Result: clarification by a court, often in expedited proceedings.
- Reply publicly in parallel: Regardless of the proceedings, you can comment on reviews free of charge through your employer profile and set out your position factually. ➔ Result: applicants see your side for as long as the review is visible.
💡 Insider tip: Word the objection as specifically as possible, but skip lengthy legal arguments – clearly disputing the contact is the core of it. In a case that did not involve kununu, the LG Hamburg (judgment of 19 December 2025, case no. 324 O 400/25) made clear that portals may not reject specific objections by pointing to their internal reporting forms. Even so, use kununu's reporting channel first and document every objection with a date.
Can I find out who wrote the review?
Only within narrow limits. Kununu generally assures authors that they will not be identified. The route through the courts is narrow: under § 21 TDDDG, providers may only hand over a user's subscriber data (Bestandsdaten) where this is necessary to enforce civil claims arising from the violation of absolutely protected rights – and specifically through content that meets the elements of certain criminal offences such as insult, defamation (üble Nachrede) or intentional defamation (Verleumdung). A review that merely cannot be verified is generally not enough for that. It also requires a prior court order from the Landgericht (regional court), and the applicant initially bears the costs.
In practice this is rarely necessary. The goal is usually removal, not the identity. And for that, under the Hamburg line of case law, it is enough that kununu cannot substantiate the contact in a verifiable way.
What to do if the criticism is justified?
Then removal is the wrong route. A calm, specific reply often has more effect on applicants than a flawless profile. Name what you have changed, and invite a conversation. The principles from our roadmap for dealing with negative reviews apply to employer portals in exactly the same way. Our guide on getting a Google review removed shows what the procedure looks like at Google.
In the long run, one thing helps most of all: more genuine voices. Encourage current employees neutrally to share their experiences – without pressure and without prescribing what they should say. Our article What are verified reviews? explains how strongly proven contact affects credibility.
Conclusion: the Hamburg line strengthens employers – but only where doubts are genuine
Getting a Kununu review removed is more realistic today than it was a few years ago. The courts in Hamburg require the author to be verifiable for the employer – anonymized evidence is often not enough. That is an effective tool against reviews with no real background.
None of that applies to honest criticism. Anyone who fights every negative voice loses credibility with applicants. So examine every review soberly first: do you know the author? Are the facts correct? Only then decide between an objection and a reply. And if you would like to present your company transparently with reviews from several sources, you can register it with reviewfinder.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get a Kununu review removed?
That depends on the route. How long kununu's check takes depends above all on how quickly the author supplies evidence. Expedited court proceedings like those before the LG Hamburg can lead to a decision considerably faster, but they come with costs.
Does kununu have to name the author?
Not necessarily. According to the OLG Hamburg, however, kununu has to make the author identifiable to the point where the employer can check whether an employment relationship existed. If that does not succeed, the review has to be deleted. Against the author's will, user data can only be handed over with a court order under § 21 TDDDG.
Can I get a negative but honest Kununu review removed?
As a rule, no. Honest experiences and value judgments are covered by freedom of expression, even when they are harsh. Removal only comes into consideration where there are false facts, insults, abusive criticism or no contact with your company.
What does it cost to get a Kununu review removed?
Costs arise above all if you instruct a law firm or go to court. How high they are depends on the amount in dispute and on the proceedings – ask for a quote up front.
