What to Do If Someone Is Spreading Rumors About You Online
When someone spreads rumors about you at school or work, it can be a harrowing experience. False accusations can spread throughout the institution or even reach other schools or companies, embarrassing you every step of the way. But when someone spreads rumors about you online, it can turn into a huge problem very quickly. It can even be dangerous at times – think of innocent people being falsely accused of crimes after mass tragedies .
It’s hard to know how to live up to your name when the lies are spreading so fast, and whether you should ever get into a fight yourself. Here are a few steps you can take if you have been the victim of an internet rumor.
Determine if it’s safe to protect yourself online
This week, in the wake of the tragic mass shooting at an elementary school in Texas, online scammers were quick to spread the rumor that the perpetrator was a transgender woman active on Reddit. Hours after the assassination, a Republican spokesman even tweeted that it was a rumor as fact. The defendant posted a photo of herself to prove that it was not her, given that reports from the scene indicated that the shooter had been killed. She later took to the media, claiming she had received threats and harassment, and provided photos of herself with a timestamp (we won’t give her name here because she no longer needs to appear in Google searches).
Rushing into the fray immediately is certainly an option, but it’s important to consider your safety and your reach. In a situation where the rumor is serious and could ignite deep tensions, consider whether your post will be seen at all or seen in a way that will irritate you even more.
The woman’s post on Reddit was direct: “That’s not me,” she wrote. I don’t even live in Texas. Note that however tempted you may be to respond with anger and counter-blame, adding more negativity to the mix can be a trap. Keep any answer short, simple, and factual.
Reach out to friends with a larger platform
If you have friends or family members who have a large following online—even if only in your community—it might be time to reach out to them for help and ask them to help you spread the truth. Not every rumor will rise to the level of falsely accusing the internet mafia of a crime, but lewd stories tend to get reprinted often and it will take more than one person to answer them with facts.
If someone is reaching out to you to get your point of view—whether it’s a simple classmate or a reporter, if the incident is of public interest—consider talking about it, but only if you’re confident enough that you can present yourself well. Here are some tips on how to prepare for sudden viral fame and scrutiny .
You can contact a lawyer
Presenting yourself in a positive light can be difficult, especially during difficult times. It may be better for you to have someone else represent you in a case where a rumor is especially dangerous, especially in the case of online rumors that are searchable and will be stored forever.
Hiring a lawyer may seem like an important step, but if the rumor is affecting your safety, your employability, your reputation, or your mental health, it may be a necessary step. There are legal representatives who specialize in online harassment and understand the implications; here are some tips on how to find it .
I wonder what a lawyer can do? Minc Law , a firm that specializes in online defamation, advertises that its lawyers can file an online defamation lawsuit, remove harmful online content, and even help identify criminals anonymous. This is more than just a cease and desist letter.
Use a paid service to remove yourself from the Internet
The internet is real life in 2022, so the idea of removing yourself from it can be frustrating. However, you do not have to completely disconnect from the network. You can simply pay for a service that will remove your personal information from the Internet. Services like DeleteMe and HelloPrivacy can help you remove your personal information from those people-finding sites that have replaced old-fashioned phone books.
It’s also a good idea to go through your old posts on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit and make sure there’s nothing identifying about your address or phone number, and consider deleting your post history or making your accounts private so you don’t let more insults pour in. You may have to wait out the rumor storm, but you don’t have to wait it out getting texts from strangers who believe they’re true.