In this case, a person was attacking our client who writes prolifically on political pieces in a popular, online news magazine.   This person created many different profile and fake accounts to stay anonymous and to counter the magazine’s constantly shutting down their account for abuse.

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Google is the search engine of choice for the vast majority of internet users. Millions of people log into Goggle every day and billions perform searches using the Google engine. It’s a great tool for finding a local grocery store, great prices on hotels – the list is endless. However, there is something called Goggle Defamation. You know you’ve fallen prey to this when you search your personal or business name and yes, you come up on page one, but it’s all bad.

Obviously, a few people have written articles about you that are, to put it kindly, not nice. The problem is that when there are lots of them, or they are written in such a way that Google ranks them at or near the type, the first thing people see about you or your company is negative.

When written remarks cross a specific threshold, they lead to Google defamation. Figuring out if the threshold has been crossed may seem difficult, but there are some specific questions that – if you answer yes to them – indicate that you have been subject to Google defamation. These questions include:

1. Were the statements made untrue?

2. Was the material visible by more than ten people?

3. Were you accused of any of the following:

· Being sexually deviant;

· Committing a crime;

· Being incompetent to perform your profession; and/or

· Having a horrible disease

While it is not necessary that the answers to all these questions to be ‘yes’, in order to determine if Goggle defamation has occurred, they do form a good acid test. They will give you an idea if the remarks were simply in line with exercising the First Amendment right to freedom of speech, or if what has happened to you is more correctly categorized as defamation of character.

Once you find your name attached to numerous Google listings in a negative manner, you can choose any number of remedies. You can simply find the culprit (not always easy) and communicate to them that you know who they are and that you are planning to take action against them. This is the gentlest action. The harshest is to begin a lawsuit.

As hinted above, identifying the defamer is not always an easy task. There is an additional difficulty with ridding your self and your reputation of Google defamation because once you’ve been associated with being irreputable on Google, it is especially challenging to get rid of all the defamation. Reputation Defense Online, a cyber investigation firm, specializes in guiding its clients through what can be quite a lengthy process. A bit simplistically stated, this company will :

1. Identify the best course of action to stop the defamation. This is done via a free initial consultation.

2. Actively investigate to find out exactly who is attacking you.

3. Put the culprit(s) on official notice. If your goal is simply to get the attacks to stop, this may as far as you need to go.

4. Collect and compile data should a lawsuit become necessary.

5. Actually begin the legal process by filing a lawsuit.

6. Attempt to ‘settle’ with the attacker, if possible.

7. Follow through and actually complete the lawsuit.

It may seem that this is no more than a tedious a time-consuming process, but it is way more than that. Google defamation is about as bad as it gets, and your best line of attack is to visit the highly-experienced cyber investigation professionals at www.ReputationDefenseOnline.com.

Libel refers to malicious remarks that are damagingly misrepresentative or malicious, and that are presented in written form. In the good old days, squabbles between individuals and companies were handled by phone calls and letters. These days, it’s just too easy to let your fingers do the walking, and Google Libel has become quite a problem.

When your personal or company name starts popping up on search engines, you want it to be positive. One of the more popular of these search engines has had a bit of an increase in what is referred to as Google Libel. This refers to posts that are defamatory in nature and often come up quite near the top when you or your company is researched. There are some key acid tests you can apply to determine if you have received Google Libel. If the answer to any of the three questions below is ‘yes’, it is likely that the threshold has been crossed.

ü Is what they stated about you false?

ü Was the material visible by more than ten people?

ü Did the written material accuse you of one of the following:

Being sexually deviant, committing a crime; being incompetent to perform your profession; and/or having a horrible disease.

Although in the United States, we are all provided the right of free speech via the First Amendment, we are not granted the right to make libelous statements. Knowing the difference is a responsibility we all share, and when it comes to Google libel, it can be particularly damaging, as this site is many people’s first choice when performing research.

If you have fallen prey to Goggle libel, you need to take action quickly. Effectively eradicating the problem can be accomplished in a variety of ways. The most gentle would be to simply let the culprit know that they have been caught in the act and that you are going to do something about it. The most severe would be taking the culprit to court.

The biggest hurdle you may face in cleaning up your online reputation is usually identifying the attacker. Most who make libelous comments on the internet are quite adept at hiding behind anonymous nicknames and email address. You need the help of a cyber investigation firm, to guide you through the intricacies of eliminating the problem.

Reputation Defense Online is the best of the best in this regard. Their first course of action is to perform a free initial consultation. At this stage, they determine which path to start on to completely eradicate the problem. They then perform an in-depth investigative procedure until every attacker has been identified. Putting the attacker on notice and demanding cessation of postings is the next step. Collection of all information that will be needed in case of a lawsuit is studiously performed. Then, a lawsuit is filed and settlement reached (if possible). Finally, if necessary, a full-blown lawsuit is conducted.

In sum, Google libel is not to be taken lightly. It can absolutely ruin your good name. If there is any doubt, you should visit sit the cyber investigation professionals at www.ReputationDefenseOnline.com. You will be surprised how much a clean online reputation can enhance your relationships and your business!