Attorney Explains: Tips and Ideas To Stop Online Harassment
Millions of people are dealing with online harassment situations. Not only does that have a negative impact when it comes to self-confidence, but it can lead to job loss, financial losses and many others. Thankfully, there are ways to tackle online harassment, and you shouldn’t just accept it. Instead, there are methods that can be used to fight against online harassment and which can be very effective.
What is seen as online harassment?
Before we find ways to deal with online harassment, it’s a good idea to understand what constitutes as harassment in the online world. A good example here is cyberbullying, when someone bullies and intimidates other people via online chat, video chat and other similar methods.
Another type of online harassment is doxxing, when someone publishes a person’s information online without their consent. There’s also impersonation, when the attacker tries to create fake accounts and defame their victim. And lastly, online harassment also includes revenge porn or online blackmail and extortion, where some people choose to share intimate videos without the owner’s permission.
A third type of online harassment is online blackmail and extortion.
Documenting online harassment
· In order to deal with online harassment, you need to have proof that you are being harassed, doxed, impersonated and so on.
· Since these actions take place online, it’s imperative to capture screenshots as proof for any abusive content.
· Additionally, you want to store and organize evidence in a secure manner.
· Preserving all the evidence and ensuring nothing gets deleted is of the utmost importance. Aside from screenshots, creating a backup of all conversations and evidence will help immensely.
Report any signs of online harassment to social sites
In case you’re harassed via social sites, you always want to report those messages/posts to social media websites. They have teams that will analyze all reported content. You can do this on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and all social media. Don’t just leave harassers to continue sending messages, instead report them with evidence.
Should you involve law enforcement in the case of online harassment?
If you encounter any continual online harassment situations, it’s imperative to connect with a legal expert. Our team is here to assist with any type of bullying, online harassment, defamation or similar situations. We are firm believers that legal experts can offer guidance and help in these delicate situations.
And yes, you should contact the police in case things get out of hand. Usually, involving the police is a good idea if a minor gets harassed, you encounter stalking, threats of physical harm/violence or if personal images are shared without consent. Again, you always want to document all the information, and show clear evidence that you are dealing with online harassment.
What are your options if you are dealing with online harassment?
Thankfully, there are a multitude of options to consider if you are a victim of online harassment. Legal consequences will vary from state to state or country to country. However, it’s a great idea to contact a legal professional if you encounter signs of:
· Defamation, where attackers are making false statements to destroy your reputation
· Intrusion and invasion of privacy, where the attacker tries to access and use your personal data
· Cyberstalking, if the attacker continues to track your every step online and sometimes even offline
· Copyright infringement, the use of creative work without authorization should also be tackled appropriately
Improve your online security
It’s extremely important to try and safeguard your online presence as much as you can. In these situations, the best approach is to:
· Enable 2-factor authentication, since it adds an extra layer of protection and it can prevent hackers from accessing your data.
· Always review privacy limits on websites you use. Ensure that you limit who can see and access your images. Keeping things strict and under control is crucial, and it can prevent any possible issues that arise.
· Establish and update account recovery methods as often as you can. That will help protect you in case an abuser/attacker gains access to your accounts.
· Ideally, you want to use very complex, long passwords. Using a password manager is extremely useful, and you should also consider changing passwords every 2-3 months.
· File a DMCA takedown notice if you have any copyrighted content that was infringed. It’s a great option if you have someone that tries to defame you in the online world.
· You also want to remove your info from data broker sites. Paid services like DeleteMe can be very good, but you can also manually contact websites which hold your data as well.
Conclusion
Since online harassment is very problematic, it’s important to focus on handling it safely and with the utmost attention. Realistically, online harassment can arise from anywhere. That’s why you always want to protect yourself and implement even more radical safety methods. Also, it’s a good idea to contact a legal professional that has knowledge in the field of online harassment.
