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

Internet Harassment - Taking on Google

Most readers of this blog know that I am involved in extensive litigation with Andrew Drummond, a journalist resident in Bangkok.

Andrew Drummond is a convicted criminal, after being convicted of the criminal defamation of  Drew Noyes and David Hanks in Pattaya earlier this year. Drummond was sentenced to four months in jail (suspended for one year).

Drummond has a number of criminal cases pending (and I have it on good advice another one was filed today in Pattaya Court).

Drummond operates a site hosted by Google on Blogger using a custom URL.

Over the past few weeks, my friends David Hanks, Drew Noyes and I have been subjected to an incredible campaign of internet harassment, and we have decided to take decisive action to put a stop to it.

David, Drew and I have had articles posted on the internet, then swathes of disgraceful comments are made by anonymous posters. These posters hide behind internet profiles with made up names such as Tommy Truthsearcher, Jules, Sam Kane, Ally, Sam Thai, The Weapon, Knutsa01 - all spend all their time making comments and threats from the comfort of their anonymous internet connections.

Fake Facebook profiles, fake Wordpress blogs, fake Blogger sites, fake Google Plus profiles - the lot!

It comes under the umbrella name of 'internet harrassment' or 'cyber harrassment'. It is a criminal offence in most countries, but difficult to identify offenders.

Now ask the question - why do they use fake untraceable accounts with fake photoshopped profile photos?

There are two reasons, firstly they are low life cowardly scum bags who would never challenge face to face, and secondly they know if they can be identified we will prosecute them under Thailand's Computer Crimes Act, or the UK Prevention of Harassment Act, or the Defamation Act in Australia.

People subjected to internet harassment are normally advised to document all the emails, messages, threats and posts and for weeks on end that is what David and I have been doing - the reason?

The reason is that David Hanks and I this morning instructed our lawyers to file dozens of criminal charges against Google Inc and Google Thailand, as the owners of Blogger,  in Central Bangkok Criminal Court.

Google are to be prosecuted for a wide range of criminal offences, including providing internet services to third parties posting defamation, harassment, threats and use of fake photoshopped images.

Blogger

Google are being sued as a 'service provider', for allowing third parties to post unlawful material, and failing to remove it when notified - this is a criminal offence in Thailand under Thailand's tough Computer Crimes Act in fact it is a criminal offence in most countries.

We have also instructed our lawyers to file charges against Larry Page and Sergey Binn personally.

Sergey Binn

Larry Page

One of the main issues in the case is the ease with which Google allows fake profiles to be used to set up hate blogs.

Google and Blogger are protected to some degree in the US from defamation suits, but there is no protection from internet harassment, 47 U.S. Code § 223, makes it justiciable if a service provider allows internet harassment to continue.

Google have already lose defamation cases in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, France and Germany - and just last week in the European Court of Justice in the 'right to be forgotten case'.

We three are all realistic, and we know that we are taking on Google, an internet behemoth, but we have no choice - we must fight back.

We are extremely fortunate to have been offered assistance by a well know 'internet consultant' who has had running battles with Google for some time, and his involvement will be announced later in the month as the proceedings start to move.

The proceedings in Thailand are just the start, tandem proceedings are expected in the US, UK and Australia - we are going to be busy.

And before Drummond and his supporters start screaming and cackling - yes we know what we are doing, and who we are taking on, and how much money they have.

In fact, one of the lawyers laughed this morning and said this will be a real David (Hanks) and Goliath battle.

David and Goliath