Archives for November 2014

Digital Is Not Necessarily Forever

One of the Internet’s big secrets is that digital is not necessarily forever. Content can actually be removed from search results and sometimes entirely from cyberspace. I’m not saying it is easy or that removal practices are prevalent, but it can be done.

Human beings are fallible, and we all make mistakes. Sometimes our errors in judgment, both large and small, find their way online. In some cases, people break the law and the details end up on news websites. In other situations, a person slights another person (sometimes unintentionally) and a digital version of the story finds its way online.

Blog sites, social media postings and message boards are often the biggest culprits but mainstream news sites also carry unflattering stories that can be damaging to an individual or a brand.

The common belief is that once something is posted online that it will stay there forever. Many people endure a feeling of helplessness at this thought, but options exist. Here are a few tactics which do not include suppression (so-called driving down) of negative content. Here, we are discussing outright removal.Read more