Common Digital Harassment Tactics and Counter-Strategies & Timeline and Deadlines for Digital Harassment Claims

Anonymous and Fake Account Harassment

Recognizing Anonymous Harassment: - Fake or anonymous accounts targeting specific employees - Coordinated harassment from multiple fake accounts - Anonymous sharing of inappropriate content about coworkers - Fake reviews or professional reputation attacks - Anonymous tips or complaints designed to harass employees Counter-Strategies: - Document patterns suggesting common source behind fake accounts - Use technical analysis to connect anonymous accounts to known harassers - Report fake accounts to platforms for investigation and removal - Seek legal discovery to unmask anonymous harassers - Document timing and content patterns connecting anonymous harassment to known conflicts

Viral and Amplification Campaigns

Group Digital Harassment: - Coordinated sharing of harassing content across multiple platforms - Encouraging others to join in digital harassment campaigns - Using viral mechanisms to amplify individual harassment incidents - Creating or spreading harassing memes or content about targets - Organizing group harassment through private digital channels Response Strategies: - Document all participants in group harassment campaigns - Show coordination and encouragement of harassment by ringleaders - Identify workplace connections among harassment participants - Document employer knowledge and failure to address group harassment - Seek broad injunctive relief covering all harassment participants

Professional Reputation Attacks

Career-Damaging Digital Harassment: - False reviews or ratings on professional platforms - Sharing inappropriate personal information with professional contacts - Creating false professional profiles or accounts - Spreading false information about professional competence or conduct - Using professional networks to amplify personal harassment Protection and Response: - Monitor professional reputation through regular online searches - Document false or harassing professional content immediately - Report professional platform abuse to platform administrators - Consider defamation claims for false professional reputation attacks - Seek injunctive relief to prevent ongoing professional reputation damage

Evidence Preservation Urgency

Immediate Digital Evidence Needs (Within 24 Hours): - Screenshot and save all harassing digital communications - Preserve original files and metadata before they can be deleted - Document platform and technical details while information is available - Save evidence from multiple platforms and accounts - Create authenticated copies before reporting harassment to platforms Platform Response Timeline (Within 1 Week): - Report harassment to relevant platforms and document responses - Request preservation of evidence from platforms and administrators - Document platform policy violations and request enforcement - Appeal inadequate platform responses through appropriate channels - Consider legal demands for evidence preservation from platforms

Legal Filing Considerations

EEOC and State Agency Deadlines: - Same 180/300-day deadlines apply to digital harassment as traditional harassment - Digital harassment may create continuing violations extending deadlines - Document work-relatedness of personal platform harassment for legal coverage - Consider multi-jurisdictional issues when harassment crosses state lines - Coordinate with criminal law enforcement for serious digital harassment Criminal Law Coordination: - Report criminal digital harassment (threats, stalking, identity theft) to law enforcement - Coordinate civil and criminal cases for maximum protection and evidence preservation - Document law enforcement response and investigation for civil cases - Consider restraining orders for serious digital harassment cases - Use criminal case evidence and findings to support civil harassment claims