Fight Google over Cyberbullying

In 2007 and 2008 I was defamed on a notorious website. RipoffReport.com. This website publishes false content about people and businesses and requires payments of up to $20,500 to join their 'corporate advocacy program' or 'arbitrate' in order to prevent it from appearing on page 1 of the Google search results. 

RipoffReport.com also publishes extreme hate speech, photographs and location details about minors and provides a platform for perpetrators of domestic abuse to publish derogatory content (referring to women as ‘sluts’, ‘whores’ etc.) about their victims. Further information is on my blog:

http://drjaniceduffy.com/

An example list of offensive material is on this link:

http://www.authorizedstatement.org/statements/samples-of-offensive-webpages-on-ripoffreport-com/

RipoffReport.com has redacted some of the content from the offensive material since I compiled this list but that was only so that Google would put advertisements back on the website.  The website has 1.8 million ‘reports’ and only about 20% contain accurate information.

After my former employer found the defamatory content and Google refused to remove it even after more than a dozen notifications I filed defamation proceedings. 

Rather than spend two minutes removing the content Google embarked on a defence of 'deep pocketing'. I paid lawyers for as long as I could and am now representing myself in the trial against Google.  It starts on June 22 2015 in the South Australian Supreme Court.

Google routinely refuses to remove links to webpages that damage reputations. Google have so far employed 3 law firms, 2 barristers and a QC to try and make me go away. I expect that their legal costs are well over a million dollars and the trial will costs them thousands of dollars a day. I am still hanging in there but only just. On 22 June it will be me in court against a bank of corporate lawyers.

This trial is no longer just about me. There are hundreds of people who have had their lives destroyed by Google and RipoffReport.com.

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/remove-rip-off-report-from-google/signatures.html

I am now on government benefits as a result of this legal battle and I need to raise funds to pay some of the court costs. These include witness statements, an expert report, trial transcripts etc.

A million dollars plus in legal costs is nothing to Google. However it is beyond the means of ordinary people. Cyberbullying can happen to anyone. Most people do not want to take legal action, they just want the bullying to stop. If Google can break those who take them to court by using their financial muscle, they will have no reason to help stop cyberbullying by responding to removal requests.