In 2018, Guy Babcock discovered that photos of him and his family members had been posted all over the internet, coupled with accusations that he and other male family members were pedophiles and female family members were thieves. While it was an arduous journey to locate the origin of these posts, the answer surprised Babcock: A former employee who his father terminated from a real estate office in 1993 (and who allegedly has suffered various mental health issues).
Business Takeaway: While this story may be an outlier in terms of the conduct and resulting fallout, it serves as a timely reminder of the spread and “permanence” of internet posts—fact or fiction. Despite a favorable legal decision, Babcock still had to fend for himself in removing the posts.