Brian Goudie - Understanding Internet Harassment

Brian Goudie

Over the next few months I will be posting on this blog and documenting my experience with what can only be described as an ongoing coordinated campaign of internet harassment, and I intend to document my own personal experiences, as well as my now ongoing battle with Google,

Firstly, what is internet harassment? There is no clear definition, but according to Wiki Cyber Stallking and Internet Harassment has a wide range of different ways of manifesting.

In my case, it all started off when a journalist wrote a story about me in September 2012 - the journalist in question is now a convicted criminal and in the next few weeks is facing dozens of criminal charges.

My case is not unique, I have two close friends who have also been attacked. My good friend David Hanks was also attacked.

David Hanks

In my case, dozens of fake photos have been posted all over the internet along with dozens of allegations that my friend refers to as a 'myriad of lies'.

Initially it was very embarassing, especially the fake photos,  and did a great deal of damage to my life and business - now the harassment continues, but I have learned how to deal with it - criminal prosecution of the people involved.

For many months, I was subjected to a vicious campaign of harassment and intimidation, with death threats, threats of physical violence, fake profiles being set up in my name on Facebook, Wordpress, Google Plus, Blogger - everywhere!

Then these 'trolls' started sending messages and emails to my friends and family - at the same time the 'journalist' wrote over 100 articles witten on a 'news' website.

I took the owner of the 'news' site to Court, and the harassment increased, with the fake profiles commenting on the 'news'  site also leaving comments on my Facebook, Google Plus and Blogger posts. Many of the comments can only be described as disgusting.

Then, all the fake profiles started using the fake photos in their profiles, and postimg them in Google Plus albums, with backlinks and tags to my profile - this is still going on, but the trolls are now much more careful masking their locations and IP addresses.

The whole campaign of internet harassment centred around the 'news' site, and all the posters on the 'news' site would also post on my Blogger and Facebook.

I stayed quiet and took the advice of many to try to ignore it and report it to Google - and it got worse!

The accusations and names and threats I wont repeat here, but in months to come the details will be reported as the Court proceedings progress.

And what did Google do when I reported all of this - nothing! I received the same standard response every time - Google is not a mediator of content.

But what of Google? Google will try to tell you they are not responsible for the content, but a number of Court cases around the world have shaken that presumption, a recent example of which in the UK is Tamiz v Google and in Trijulka v Google in Australia.

Because internet harassment is a new area of law, many jurisdictions are ill equipped to deal with it, although in jurisdictions I am interested in, the UK, Thailand and Australia news laws such as amendments to the Prevention of Harassment Act (UK) and the Computer Crimes Act (Thailand) are starting to address the issue.

In the US, the Communications Decency Act makes much of the conduct I will write about is now a US Federal Offence.

And today many thanks to +Spinosa +knutsa01 +Ally +samthai +theweapon +jules without whom my case against Google would not be possible.

To be continued.

Brian Goudie.
25th May 2014