Online reputation management after a personal crisis
In this article, we’ll look at why managing your online reputation is important after a personal crisis and steps you can take.
What is online reputation management
Online reputation management means controlling what appears when someone searches your name on the internet. This is often known as your digital footprint. If you're going through a personal crisis that's in the public domain, staying on top of your digital footprint is an important part of "damage control". What shows up online when people search your name can have a big impact on your reputation for years to come.
Online reputation management usually includes the following steps:
- Monitoring what's being said about you online
- Managing negative content that could harm your reputation
- Sharing and posting positive content on your social media
- Keeping track of news articles and social media mentions
- Checking groups, review sites and forums where your name might appear
- Understanding your privacy rights and using them when needed
Our beginner's guide to online reputation management explains more about controlling how your digital footprint reflects on your personal image.
Different types of personal crises and how they affect your online reputation
Criminal record
Your past mistakes shouldn't define your future, but old news articles about criminal convictions can appear when potential employers search your name. Even if your conviction is spent, these stories can harm job prospects and social connections. For example, a minor offence from 12—now spent—from 2012 that appears in a local news article could still stop you from getting work today. Check out our page about getting a job with a criminal conviction for more useful information and advice on this topic.
Divorce
Relationship breakdowns often go public, especially if there's conflict. Ex-partners might share private details online or to the press. These stories can then affect your dating and relationship prospects, as potential partners may find this information when searching your name. Family court details or accusations could damage your standing in the community, too. Our deleting articles about divorces page has more useful advice.
Bankruptcy
Financial difficulties can leave a lasting online footprint through court records and news coverage. These details being published online for all to see could cause many problems for you. For example, it may make it harder to get loans or credit. Potential landlords may decide not to rent out their property to you. If you want to start new business ventures, you may struggle to build professional relationships and attract investment. For more information on this topic, take a look at our reputation after bankruptcy page.
Missing persons
If you've been reported missing in the past, these reports might still appear in searches years later. Remember, there is often lots of press coverage and public appeals for missing persons that are often not deleted when the person is found. This can raise uncomfortable questions with new employers and business contacts. It could also affect your personal relationships and social standing. Take a look at our missing persons page for more useful advice about managing your online reputation.
Business failures
When a company fails, it appears on public records and may even make the local news. These stories can affect your business prospects even 10 years later after the original business failure. They may discourage potential business partners from working with you and make investors hesitant. This would affect your ability to secure funding. Our article on business failures and online reputation management can give you more tips.
Gross misconduct
Being dismissed for gross misconduct can have long-lasting effects, even if details aren't published online. Previous employers might keep records longer than necessary and then share details in references. They also could pass information informally to new employers, too. All this could mean that new employers chose not to hire. Read our article about online reputation management and cases of gross misconduct for more advice.
What to do if you find damaging content online
If you find information about your personal crisis online, stay calm and follow these steps to protect your reputation:
Contact the website owner
Email the website's owner or editor and politely request they remove the content. Explain why it's damaging and provide evidence if the information is incorrect. Our free guide includes email templates to help you write your request professionally.
Request removal from search engines
Use the Right to be Forgotten to ask Google and other search engines to remove links to the content. You'll need to explain how this information affects your privacy and why it should be deleted. Remember, this process can be complex and takes time. Read our page about when the Right to be Forgotten applies in the UK for more information.
Make a public statement
If the content is gaining attention, consider posting a brief, professional statement on your social media or through proper channels. Keep it factual and avoid emotional responses. Sometimes, addressing issues head-on can help manage the narrative.
Make your social media accounts private
Set all social media accounts to private and consider removing your surname from public profiles. This makes it harder for people to find and share more personal information about you. Review your privacy settings regularly.
Avoid engaging with negative comments
Don't get drawn into online arguments or respond to provocative comments. This often makes situations worse and what you write can also appear in search engines.
The Right to be Forgotten and Internet Erasure
The Right to be Forgotten is part of the UK’s GDPR laws. It gives you the legal right to request damaging online content about you be removed and means you can ask Google to take down the links from its search results. While this sounds straightforward, success rates for individuals making these requests alone are low—only about half get approved.
That's where Internet Erasure helps. Our privacy lawyers know all about this complex law. We've removed over 50,000 damaging articles for 900+ clients with a 94% success rate. We only take on cases we're confident we can win, so you know you're in safe hands.
If you're struggling with negative content online, contact us today.
Check out our hundreds of 5-star reviews on TrustPilot, here’s a recent one:
“A fantastic service has been provided and I’m very grateful to the very professional team members I spoke with. I would recommend anyone with old headaches on the internet to use there services. Thank you”
That's where Internet Erasure helps. Our privacy lawyers know all about this complex law. We've removed over 50,000 damaging articles for 900+ clients with a 94% success rate. We only take on cases we're confident we can win, so you know you're in safe hands.
If you're struggling with negative content online, contact us today.
Check out our hundreds of 5-star reviews on TrustPilot, here’s a recent one:
“A fantastic service has been provided and I’m very grateful to the very professional team members I spoke with. I would recommend anyone with old headaches on the internet to use there services. Thank you”
