Once we identified all possible threats, our next objective was to neutralize them using a series of effective tactics. Firstly, we knew that it would be impossible to get rid of all the links and stories about Phyllis J. in the press, but it was paramount that we sever any digital and business connections between her and her former colleagues as well as remove all family-related files on sites like Twitter, LinkedIn, People Finder, Facebook and other social networks.
Too bad it’s not that easy.
The web is transparent and porous; it’s hard to simply take things down. There is a process made up of quiet and discreet steps to lower the chance of increased damage. Simply asking Google to remove links can turn into another problem since requests are often made public and searchable. Furthermore, many mirror websites in other countries will copy exact content from sites such as LinkedIn. Removing material from domestic sites required our team to also search foreign mirror sites and driving broken links, thus caching this information from their system.
On the business front, we utilized requests, subpoenas, and other means to break or bury links, and get rid of a mention in a business journal to defuse the situation.
It is a continuous monitoring operation on our part, but today, Phyllis J. and her family are much safer than they were before we became involved.