How To Remove Cyber Abuse
Frankie Lee • June 30, 2020
Are you trying to remove content considered as cyber abuse?
The Australian Government’s Office of the eSafety Commissioner defines cyber abuse as: “Online behaviour which is reasonably likely to have a seriously threatening, intimidating, harassing or humiliating effect on a person. It is behaviour that threatens to hurt a person socially, psychologically or even physically.” Cyber abuse can be worse than in-person abuse because of the far-reaching effects of posting online.
The effects of cyber abuse
Content Removal had a client who was suffering through defamatory cyber abuse. She lost job opportunities because of the malicious defamatory content. This is a reality for many people, and if not for our efforts in having the content removed, our client may have struggled carrying on with her career. We are—of course—not saying we are saviours. But our efforts were successful in this case. And we saved our client a lot of headaches. Defamation is one of the most successful forms of cyber abuse. For the average online reader, it is not easy to differentiate between some stranger’s opinion and a legitimate source of information.
Examples of cyber abuse:
- Posting shocking and offensive material.
- Persistent personal attacks.
- Sending obscene messages on a regular basis.
- Posting sexual videos or images of someone without their consent.
- Digitally doctoring photos of people into lewd or explicit images that are posted on social media or pornography sites.*
You don’t have to put up with this content being online
Content Removal
prides itself on being able to help business and individuals get this sort of malicious content removed. If you are looking to have abusive content removed from the web, contact our team today.
*a more comprehensive list can be found here: esafety.gov.au
Are you a victim of cyber abuse?
Not sure how to deal with the situation? Content Removal
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Cyber Abuse — Quick Questions.
What is Cyberbullying?
Online bullying, or cyberbullying, occurs frequently to teens using the Internet, cell phones or other devices. These teens often experience texts or images intended to hurt or embarrass them. Almost half of all American teens are victims of cyber bullying. Whether you’ve been a victim of cyberbullying or know someone who has been cyberbullied, there are steps you and your friends can take to stop cyberbullying and stay cyber-safe.
Is bullying the same as cyberbullying? What makes them different?
While bullying occurs as a face-to-face confrontation, cyberbullying occurs online and involves the use of technologies. Cyberbullying can be even more vicious than bullying since cyberbullying can occur repeatedly in front of a massive online audience, with the cyberbully’s identity unknown, while the victim feels helpless because the attacks can come from several different online sources day in and day out.
How do people react to cyber bullying?
There are two types of reactions. People either react positively or negatively. Positive victim reaction involves blocking communication with the cyberbully, deleting messages without reading them, talking to a friend about the bullying, or reporting the problem to an internet service provider or website monitor. Negative victim reaction involves seeking revenge on the bully, avoiding friends and activities, and even cyberbullying others.
How are people cyberbullied?
Cyberbullying occurs when an individual uses the Internet or another form of technology to harm other people, in a deliberate, repeated, and hostile manner. In some cases a person may pretend that they are another person online to trick others. They could spread lies and rumours about victims, trick people into revealing personal information, send or forward mean text messages, and post pictures of victims without their consent.
Do cyberbullying victims and perpetrators fit any stereotypical profile?
Neither victims nor perpetrators fit into any stereotypical profile. The “good kids”, the “quiet kids”, as well as “troublesome kids” can be either bullies or victims. Due to the fact that online communication allows bullies to remain anonymous, people often become more emboldened and vicious in their attacks than they would be in a face-to-face encounter. Many cyberbullies have admitted that they wouldn’t have made the same choices if their identities had been known.
How can I prevent cyberbullying and stay cyber-safe?
You can refuse to pass along cyberbullying messages. Tell friends to stop cyberbullying, block communication with cyberbullies, and report cyberbullying to a trusted adult. To stay cyber-safe, never post or share your personal information online or your friends’ personal information (this includes your full name, address, telephone number, school name, parents’ names or credit card number). Never share your Internet passwords with anyone and never meet face-to-face with someone you only met online.
Introduction: Why Google Results Control Your Reputation When people want to learn about you or your business, they don’t ask you directly — they Google you. A single search result can mean the difference between: Winning or losing a client. Closing or missing an investment deal. Being trusted or being doubted. In today’s world, Google is your first impression. And when negative content shows up — whether it’s a bad review, a defamatory article, or an embarrassing old post — it can feel like your reputation is being hijacked. That’s why millions of people search for terms like “remove content from Google” or “delete Google results.” The problem? Google doesn’t make it easy. This guide gives you a step-by-step framework to understand your options, protect your name, and take back control. Step 1: Understand What Google Can (and Can’t) Do Before learning how to remove Google search results, it’s crucial to understand how Google works. Google doesn’t own the content: It simply indexes web pages published on other sites. Two main strategies exist: Remove at the source (delete the content where it was published). Remove from Google’s index (de-index it so it won’t show in search results). 👉 If the content is deleted at the source, Google will automatically update. But if it remains live, you’ll need to request a removal from Google (which only applies in specific cases). Step 2: Identify the Type of Negative Content Different types of harmful results require different strategies. Let’s break them down: 1. Defamation False statements that harm your personal or business reputation. Example: A blogger writes that you scammed clients without evidence. 2. Copyright Infringement Someone stole your images, text, or videos. Example: A competitor copies your website and publishes it. 3. Personal Information Exposure Doxxing, revenge porn, or exposure of addresses, phone numbers, bank accounts. Example: A forum publishes your private details. 4. Fake Reviews or Complaints Competitors or anonymous attackers leave fake reviews. Example: 1-star Google Business reviews from accounts that never used your service. 5. Negative Press or News Coverage News articles, blogs, or opinion pieces that damage your reputation. Example: An old article resurfaces about a legal dispute, even after it’s resolved. Step 3: Attempt Removal at the Source (Most Effective) The gold standard is to delete the content where it lives. How to Remove at the Source: Find contact information: Look for a “Contact Us” page. Use WHOIS lookup if the owner is private. Request removal politely: Be professional and clear. Explain why it should be removed (e.g., false, outdated, violating rights). Escalate legally if needed: Send a legal demand letter. File a DMCA takedown for copyright. Engage an attorney if it’s defamatory. 💡 Pro Tip: When content is deleted at the source, it’s the fastest and cleanest solution. Google will automatically remove it when it re-crawls the site. Step 4: File a Removal Request with Google If source removal isn’t possible, your next option is Google’s own removal tools. Google Offers Removals For: Outdated Content Tool: If the page is deleted but still shows in search. Legal Removal Requests: For defamation (in certain jurisdictions), copyright, and sensitive personal info. Revenge Porn & Explicit Imagery: Google prioritizes urgent takedowns for non-consensual media. Financial or ID Information: Bank details, ID numbers, or hacked data. 👉 Submit requests via Google’s Content Removal page . Be aware: Google will not remove content simply because it is negative. It must violate a policy or law. Step 5: Suppress Results When Removal Isn’t Possible Some content simply cannot be removed — for example, accurate news articles or protected opinions. In those cases, the strategy shifts to suppression. What Suppression Means: Suppression = pushing negative results off page one by ranking positive, optimized content above them. Suppression Tactics: SEO for owned assets: Optimize your website, blog, and social media profiles. Content creation: Publish articles, press releases, interviews, YouTube videos, podcasts. High-authority platforms: Build LinkedIn, Crunchbase, Medium, Quora, and other strong profiles. PR & media coverage: Secure features that rank in Google News and top publications. Since over 90% of users never click past page one, pushing harmful content to page two makes it practically invisible. Step 6: Ongoing Monitoring and Protection Reputation management is not a one-time fix. New threats can appear anytime. How to Stay Protected: Set Google Alerts for your name or brand. Track reviews across Google, Trustpilot, SiteJabber, etc. Use professional monitoring services to get alerts and immediate takedown action. At ContentRemoval.com, we provide continuous monitoring and monthly removal services so you’re never blindsided by sudden attacks. Step 7: When to Hire a Professional Some removals are straightforward. Others — like fighting with major news publishers, suppressing viral Reddit threads, or negotiating with review platforms — require expert intervention. Professional content removal experts can: Navigate Google’s complex policies. File successful DMCA, defamation, and privacy removals. Negotiate directly with publishers. Combine legal, SEO, and PR strategies into one solution. If your reputation, business revenue, or peace of mind is at stake, hiring a professional is the fastest, most reliable way to protect yourself. Case Studies (Proof Section) Case Study 1: Entrepreneur Attacked Online Problem: 42 defamatory blog posts damaging credibility. Solution: ContentRemoval.com secured takedowns on 31 and suppressed the rest. Result: Entrepreneur rebuilt reputation and closed $3M funding round. Case Study 2: CEO with Negative Press Problem: Old news coverage ranking on page one. Solution: 90-day SEO + PR campaign. Result: Positive stories ranked, pushing the negative to page three. Case Study 3: Company Flooded with Fake Reviews Problem: Competitor attack using fake Google reviews. Solution: Removal requests + review platform escalation. Result: 85% of fake reviews deleted, average rating restored. Conclusion: Taking Back Control Your online reputation is one of your most valuable assets. Negative Google search results don’t have to define you. Best case: Remove content at the source. Next best: File a removal request with Google. If all else fails: Suppress the results with SEO and content. 👉 The longer harmful results stay online, the more damage they cause. That’s why ContentRemoval.com exists: to help people like you remove, suppress, and protect their online reputation with proven strategies.
If you own a business in today's modern world, you know that it's no longer a question of whether you have an online presence or not. It's now a matter of what that online presence is. You need to know how people perceive your brand and whether that perception matches the one you want established. It's not wise to just let things fall where they may when your online reputation is involved. Businesses can't just let other people determine what their brand is, they should be the one on top of it controlling the narrative.