Scientology and the Internet
There are a number of disputes concerning the Church of Scientology's attempts to suppress material critical of Scientology and the organization on the Internet, utilizing various methods – primarily lawsuits and legal threats, as well as front organizations. In late 1994, the organization began using various legal tactics to stop distribution of unpublished documents written by L. Ron Hubbard. The organization has often been accused of barratry through the filing of SLAPP suits. The organization's response is that its litigious nature is solely to protect its copyrighted works and the unpublished status of certain documents.
| Scientology and the Internet | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Scientology controversies | |||
Counterclockwise from above: Protest by an Internet group calling itself 'Anonymous' against the practices and tax status of the Church of Scientology; Monument-style sign in front of the Founding Church of Scientology in Washington DC; Screenshot of error message when attempting to load www.scientology.org on January 25, 2008. | |||
| Date | July 1994 – present | ||
| Location | Internet, courts of law, worldwide protests | ||
| Methods | litigation, spam, trolling, astroturfing, street protests, prank calls, black faxes, denial of service attacks | ||
| Status | ongoing | ||
| Parties | |||
| |||
| Lead figures | |||
Various critics of the Church of Scientology have characterized the organization as a confidence scam and say that these secretive writings are proof, or that they contain evidence that the organization's medical practices are illegal and fraudulent. Scientology has been convicted of fraud in the courts of several nations, although not those of the United States. Others have said that the organization is abusing copyright law by launching lawsuits against outspoken critics.