Editing Scientology and the Internet (section)

{{short description|War between Scientology and netizens}}
{{use mdy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox civil conflict
 | date = July 1994 – present
 | partof = [[Scientology controversies]] 
 | image = [[File:Scientology versus the Internet.png|300px]]
 | caption = Counterclockwise from above: [[Project Chanology|Protest]] by an Internet group calling itself '[[Anonymous (group)|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.
 | place = Internet, courts of law, worldwide protests
 | status = ongoing
 | methods = [[litigation]], [[spam (electronic)|spam]], [[trolling]], [[astroturfing]], [[street protest]]s, [[prank call]]s, [[black fax]]es, [[denial of service]] attacks
 | side1 = 
[[alt.religion.scientology]]<br />
[[Anonymous (group)|Anonymous]]<br />
[[Operation Clambake]]<br />
[[WikiLeaks]]<br />
[[Mark Bunker|XenuTV]]
 | side2 = [[Church of Scientology]], [[Church of Scientology International]], [[Scientology front groups]], various other associated entities
 |leadfigures1 =
* [[Andreas Heldal-Lund]]
* [[Mark Bunker]]
* [[Julian Assange]] 
 | leadfigures2 =
* [[David Miscavige]]
* [[Tom Cruise]]
* [[John Travolta]]
* [[Tommy Davis (Scientology)|Tommy Davis]]
* [[Moxon & Kobrin]]
}}

[[File:Anonymous Scientology 4a by David Shankbone.JPG|thumb|A member of the Internet group [[Anonymous (group)|Anonymous]] which has held protests in many countries against the [[Church of Scientology|CoS]] every month since January 2008]]

There are a number of disputes concerning the [[Church of Scientology]]'s attempts to [[censorship|suppress material]] critical of [[Scientology]] and the organization on the [[Internet]], utilizing various methods {{endash}} primarily lawsuits and legal threats, as well as [[front organization]]s.<ref>[https://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/01/25/ddos_scientology_controversy/ Critics split over DDoS attacks on Scientology] [[The Register]], 25 January 2008</ref><ref>[http://www.canadiancontent.net/commtr/internet-group-launches-war-scientology-following-youtube-video_874.html Internet group launches War on Scientology, following YouTube video] Canadian Content, 23 January 2008</ref><ref name="Kent">{{cite journal | last = Kent | first = Stephen A. | author-link = Stephen A. Kent |author2=Krebs, Theresa | year = 1988 | title = When Scholars Know Sin: Alternative Religions and Their Academic Supporters  | journal = [[Skeptic (American magazine)|Skeptic]] | volume = 6 | issue = 3 | pages = 36–44 | url = https://skent.ualberta.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/popular-press-When-Scholars-Know-Sin.pdf | access-date = 2006-06-06 }}</ref> 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 (common law)|barratry]] through the filing of [[Strategic lawsuit against public participation|SLAPP]] suits.<ref>{{Cite web
|url=https://www.fecris.org/uncategorized/graham-berry-hamburg-2008/
|last=Berry
|first=Graham E.
|title=How the Scientology Organization uses and exploits the United States' legal system for its own ends
|quote=The Pattinson v. Scientology case had to be dismissed when Scientology engaged in barratry and drove Michael Pattinson, and me, into bankruptcy.
|access-date=January 7, 2011 |website=[[FECRIS]]
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news
|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,972865-9,00.html
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070225132542/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,972865-9,00.html
|url-status=dead
|archive-date=February 25, 2007
|title=The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power
|last=Behar
|first=Richard
|newspaper=Time
|date=May 6, 1991
|access-date=January 7, 2011
|quote=Hubbard warned his followers in writing to 'beware of attorneys who tell you not to sue... the purpose of the suit is to harass and discourage rather than to win.' Result: Scientology has brought hundreds of suits against its perceived enemies and today pays an estimated $20 million annually to more than 100 lawyers. One legal goal of Scientology is to bankrupt the opposition or bury it under paper.
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news
 |url=https://www.villagevoice.com/2008/06/24/scientologys-crushing-defeat/
 |title=Scientology's Crushing Defeat 
 |last=Ortega  |first=Tony |author-link=Tony Ortega
 |newspaper=[[The Village Voice]] 
 |date=June 24, 2008 
 |access-date=January 7, 2011 
 |quote=In 1985, Scientologists filed a separate lawsuit based on federal anti-racketeering laws (a RICO action) in U.S. district court ... The federal court threw out the lawsuit ... calling it frivolous and 'bordering on malicious.'  
 |url-status=live
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080709230659/http://www.villagevoice.com/2008-06-24/news/Scientologys-Crushing-Defeat/full 
 |archive-date=July 9, 2008 
}}</ref> The organization's response is that its litigious nature is solely to protect its [[copyright]]ed works and the [[trade secret|unpublished status]] of certain documents.

Various critics of the Church of Scientology have characterized the organization as a [[confidence trick|confidence scam]] and say that these secretive writings are proof, or that they contain evidence that the organization's medical practices are [[law|illegal]] and [[fraudulent]].<ref>Jacobsen, Jeff. [https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/NOTs/medical/jacobsen-medical.txt Medical claims within Scientology's secret teachings], 1996</ref><ref>O'Connor, Mike. [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.religion.scientology/msg/63a67a019d7e0cb4 "How Scientology claims to cure physical illness"], 2003</ref> 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 [[Copyright misuse|abusing copyright law]] by launching lawsuits against outspoken critics.<ref>[http://www.xenu.net/archive/events/9805henson-case/nots34_anal.html NOTS34: criminality successfully protected by copyright law], [[Tilman Hausherr]] (1998)</ref>