Editing Scientology (section)

=== Scientology, litigation, and the Internet ===
{{See also|Scientology and law|Scientology and the Internet|Project Chanology}}
In the 1990s, Miscavige's organization took action against increased criticism of Scientology on the Internet and online distribution of Scientology-related documents.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Grossman |first=Wendy |url=https://archive.org/details/netwars00gros/page/77 |title=Net.Wars |date=October 1997 |publisher=New York University Press |isbn=978-0-8147-3103-1 |location=New York |pages=[https://archive.org/details/netwars00gros/page/77 77–78] |chapter=Copyright Terrorists |access-date=June 11, 2006 |chapter-url=http://www.nyupress.org/netwars/textonly/pages/chapter06/ch06_.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180722155641/https://nyupress.org/netwars/textonly/pages/chapter06/ch06_.html |archive-date=2018-07-22}}</ref> Starting in 1991, Scientology filed fifty lawsuits against Scientology-critic [[Cult Awareness Network]] (CAN).<ref name=cnn96 /> Many of the suits were dismissed, but one resulted in $2&nbsp;million in losses, bankrupting the network.<ref name=cnn96 /> At bankruptcy, CAN's name and logo were obtained by a Scientologist.<ref name="cnn96">{{Cite news|last=Knapp|first=Dan|title=Group that once criticized Scientologists now owned by one|work=[[CNN]]|date=December 19, 1996|url=http://www.cnn.com/US/9612/19/scientology/index.html|access-date=October 29, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140408094945/http://www.cnn.com/US/9612/19/scientology/index.html|archive-date=April 8, 2014}}</ref><ref name="Russell">{{Cite news | first = Ron | last = Russell | title = Scientology's Revenge – For years, the Cult Awareness Network was the Church of Scientology's biggest enemy. But the late L. Ron Hubbard's L.A.-based religion cured that–by taking it over | work = [[New Times LA]] | date = September 9, 1999 }}</ref> A [[New Cult Awareness Network]] was set up with Scientology backing, which says it operates as an information and networking center for non-traditional religions, referring callers to academics and other experts.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aqmbnfXCzn0C&q=Lewis++cults+reference+handbook |title=Book: Cults: A Reference Handbook By James R. Lewis, Published by ABC-CLIO, 2005, ISBN 1-85109-618-3, ISBN 978-1-85109-618-3 |date= May 3, 2005|access-date=September 4, 2010|isbn=978-1-85109-618-3|last1=Lewis |first1=James R |publisher=Abc-Clio }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Goodman|first=Leisa|author-link=Leisa Goodman|title=A Letter from the Church of Scientology|work=Marburg Journal of Religion: Responses From Religions|pages=Volume 6, No. 2, 4 pages|year=2001|url=http://web.uni-marburg.de/religionswissenschaft/journal/mjr/goodman.html|access-date=October 28, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070213142146/http://web.uni-marburg.de/religionswissenschaft/journal/mjr/goodman.html |archive-date=February 13, 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In a 1993 U.S. lawsuit brought by the Church of Scientology against former member Steven Fishman, [[Fishman Affidavit|Fishman made a court declaration]] which included several dozen pages of formerly secret [[Western esotericism|esoterica]] detailing aspects of Scientologist [[cosmogony]].<ref name="DC2004">{{Cite book | last1 = Dawson | first1 = Lorne L. | author-link= Lorne L. Dawson | last2 = Cowan | first2 = Douglas E. | author2-link = Douglas E. Cowan | title = Religion Online: Finding Faith on the Internet | place = New York, NY/London, UK | publisher = [[Routledge Taylor & Francis Group]] | year = 2004 |pages=262, 264–265 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=88vcFt6rOigC&q=Scientology+xenu+internet+OT&pg=PA264 | isbn = 978-0-415-97022-8 }}</ref> As a result of the litigation, this material, normally strictly safeguarded and used only in Scientology's more advanced "OT levels", found its way onto the Internet.<ref name=DC2004 /> This resulted in a battle between the Scientology organization and its online critics over the right to disclose this material, or safeguard its confidentiality.<ref name=DC2004 /> The organization was forced to issue a press release acknowledging the existence of this cosmogony, rather than allow its critics "to distort and misuse this information for their own purposes".<ref name=DC2004 />

In January 1995, Church of Scientology lawyer [[Helena Kobrin]] attempted to shut down the [[newsgroup]] [[alt.religion.scientology]] by sending a control message instructing [[Usenet]] servers to delete the group.<ref>Wendy Grossman ''[[Net.wars]]'', p. 77, NYU Press, 1997 {{ISBN|978-0-8147-3103-1}}</ref> In practice, this [[rmgroup message]] had little effect, since most Usenet servers are configured to disregard such messages when sent to groups that receive substantial traffic, and [[newgroup message]]s were quickly issued to recreate the group on those servers that did not do so. However, the issuance of the message led to a great deal of public criticism by free-speech advocates.<ref>Steven Vedro ''Digital Dharma'', p. 190, Quest Books, 2007 {{ISBN|978-0-8356-0859-6}}</ref><ref>Mike Godwin ''[[Cyber Rights]]'', p. 219, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press, 2003 {{ISBN|978-0-262-57168-5}}</ref> Among the criticisms raised, one suggestion is that Scientology's true motive is to suppress the free speech of its critics.<ref>Catharine Cookson ''Encyclopedia of Religious Freedom'', p. 432, Taylor & Francis, 2003 {{ISBN|978-0-415-94181-5}}</ref><ref>Wendy Grossman ''[[Net.wars]]'', p. 90, New York University Press, 1997 {{ISBN|978-0-8147-3103-1}}</ref>

[[File:Anonymous Protest.jpg|thumb|An Internet-based group which refers to itself as '[[Anonymous (group)|Anonymous]]' held [[Project Chanology|protests]] outside Scientology centers in cities around the world in February 2008 as part of [[Project Chanology]]. Issues they protested ranged from alleged abuse of followers to the validity of its claims to qualify as a religion for tax purposes.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-feb-11-me-anonymous11-story.html |title=Global Scientology protests include L.A. |work=Los Angeles Times |first=David |last=Sarno |date=February 11, 2008|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107134142/http://articles.latimes.com/2008/feb/11/local/me-anonymous11 |archive-date=November 7, 2012 }}, Los Angeles Times, February 11, 2008.</ref>]]
The Church of Scientology also began filing lawsuits against those who posted copyrighted texts on the newsgroup and the [[World Wide Web]], lobbied for tighter restrictions on copyrights in general, and supported the controversial [[Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act]] as well as the even more controversial [[Digital Millennium Copyright Act]] (DMCA).

Beginning in the middle of 1996 and ensuing for several years, the newsgroup was attacked by anonymous parties using a tactic dubbed ''[[sporgery]]'' by some, in the form of hundreds of thousands of forged spam messages posted on the group. Some investigators said that some spam had been traced to members of the Church of Scientology.<ref>Christopher Lueg ''From Usenet to CoWebs'', p. 37, Springer, 2003 {{ISBN|978-1-85233-532-8}}</ref><ref>Wendy Grossman ''[[Net.wars]]'', pp. 74–76, NYU Press, 1997 {{ISBN|978-0-8147-3103-1}}</ref> Former Scientologist [[Tory Christman]] later asserted that the [[Office of Special Affairs]] had undertaken a concerted effort to destroy alt.religion.scientology through these means; the effort failed.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Nordhausen|first=Frank|title=Scientology: Wie der Sektenkonzern die Welt erobern will|publisher=Links Christoph Verlag|page=518|isbn=978-3-86153-470-9|language=de|year=2008}}</ref>

On January 14, 2008, a video produced by the Scientology organization featuring an interview with [[Tom Cruise]] was leaked to the Internet and uploaded to YouTube.<ref name="CookMar17">{{Cite news|author=John Cook|title=Scientology – Cult Friction|url=http://radaronline.com/from-the-magazine/2008/03/scientology_anonymous_protests_tom_cruise_01.php|work=[[Radar (magazine)|Radar]]|date=March 17, 2008|access-date=March 18, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080323063402/http://www.radaronline.com/from-the-magazine/2008/03/scientology_anonymous_protests_tom_cruise_01.php |archive-date = March 23, 2008}}</ref><ref name="WarneJan24">{{Cite news|last=Vamosi|first=Robert|title=Anonymous threatens to "dismantle" Church of Scientology via internet|work=cnet.com|publisher=[[CNET]]|date=January 24, 2008|url=https://cnet.com/news/anonymous-hackers-take-on-the-church-of-scientology/|access-date=May 30, 2015}}</ref><ref name="KNBCJan24">{{Cite news|author=KNBC Staff|title=Hacker Group Declares War On Scientology: Group Upset Over Church's Handling Of Tom Cruise Video|work=[[KNBC]]|date=January 24, 2008|url=http://www.knbc.com/news/15132759/detail.html|access-date=January 25, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080821132355/http://www.knbc.com/news/15132759/detail.html|archive-date=August 21, 2008}}</ref> The Church of Scientology issued a copyright violation claim against YouTube requesting the removal of the video.<ref name="vamosi anonymous hackers">{{Cite news|last=Vamosi|first=Robert|title=Anonymous hackers take on the Church of Scientology|work=[[CNET News]]|publisher=CNET Networks, Inc.|date=January 24, 2008|url=http://www.news.com/8301-10789_3-9857666-57.html|access-date=January 25, 2008 }}</ref> Calling the action by the Church of Scientology a form of [[Internet censorship]], participants of [[Anonymous (group)|Anonymous]] coordinated [[Project Chanology]], consisting of a series of [[denial-of-service attack]]s against Scientology websites, prank calls, and [[black fax]]es to Scientology centers.<ref name="George-Cosh">{{cite news |title=Online group declares war on Scientology |last=George-Cosh |first=David |date=January 25, 2008 |newspaper=[[National Post]] |url=http://www.canada.com/topics/technology/story.html?id=db57d8d2-ca06-4fe0-8a8b-4975100f7231 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080603083324/http://www.canada.com/topics/technology/story.html?id=db57d8d2-ca06-4fe0-8a8b-4975100f7231 |archive-date=June 3, 2008}}</ref><ref name="singel">{{Cite magazine|last=Singel|first=Ryan|title=War Breaks Out Between Hackers and Scientology – There Can Be Only One|magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]|publisher=[[CondéNet, Inc.]]|date=January 23, 2008|url=http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/01/anonymous-attac.html|access-date=January 25, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090404124558/http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/01/anonymous-attac.html|url-status=live|archive-date=April 4, 2009}}</ref><ref name="feran">{{Cite news|last=Feran|first=Tom|title=Where to find the Tom Cruise Scientology videos online, if they're still posted|work=[[The Plain Dealer]]|publisher=[[Advance Publications|Newhouse Newspapers]]|date=January 24, 2008|url=http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-0/120116724530070.xml&coll=2|access-date=January 25, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080501123546/http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-0/120116724530070.xml&coll=2 |archive-date=May 1, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|author1=Matthew A. Schroettnig |author2=Stefanie Herrington |author3=Lauren E. Trent |title=Anonymous Versus Scientology: Cyber Criminals or Vigilante Justice? |date=February 6, 2008|url=http://www.thelegality.com/2008/02/06/anonymous-versus-scientology-cyber-criminals-or-vigilante-justice/|access-date=January 25, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603210526/http://www.thelegality.com/2008/02/06/anonymous-versus-scientology-cyber-criminals-or-vigilante-justice/|archive-date=June 3, 2013}}</ref>

On January 21, 2008, Anonymous announced its intentions via a video posted to YouTube entitled "Message to Scientology", and a press release declaring a "war" against the Church of Scientology and the Religious Technology Center.<ref name="chanenterprises">{{Cite news |last=Chan Enterprises |date=January 21, 2008 |title=Internet Group Declares "War on Scientology": Anonymous are fighting the Church of Scientology and the Religious Technology Center |work=Press Release |publisher=PRLog.Org |format=PDF |url=http://www.releasewire.org/science-research/internet-group-anonymous-declares-war-on-scientology/ |access-date=January 25, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110508222309/http://www.releasewire.org/science-research/internet-group-anonymous-declares-war-on-scientology/ |archive-date=May 8, 2011}}</ref> In the press release, the group stated that the attacks against the organization would continue in order to protect the [[freedom of speech]], and end what they saw as the financial exploitation of members of the organization.<ref name="brandon">{{Cite news|last=Brandon|first=Mikhail|title=Scientology in the Crosshairs|work=[[The Emory Wheel]]|publisher=[[Emory University]]|date=January 28, 2008|url=http://www.emorywheel.com/detail.php?n=24945|access-date=January 31, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515005226/http://www.emorywheel.com/detail.php?n=24945|archive-date=May 15, 2012}}</ref>

[[File:Epic Energy Girl.jpg|thumb|A protester criticizing Scientology]]

On January 28, 2008, an Anonymous video appeared on YouTube calling for protests outside Church of Scientology buildings on February 10, 2008.<ref name="feran the group anonymous">{{Cite news |last=Feran|first=Tom|title=The group Anonymous calls for protests outside Scientology centers – New on the Net|work=[[The Plain Dealer]]|publisher=[[Advance Publications|Newhouse Newspapers]]|date=January 31, 2008|url=http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-0/1201771820310820.xml&coll=2|access-date=February 4, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080619020507/http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-0/1201771820310820.xml&coll=2 |archive-date=June 19, 2008}}</ref><ref name="vamosi anonymous names">{{Cite news|last=Vamosi|first=Robert|title=Anonymous names 10 February as its day of action against Scientology|work=[[CNET News]]|publisher=CNET Networks, Inc.|date=January 28, 2008|url=http://www.news.com/8301-10789_3-9859513-57.html|access-date=January 28, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081015212855/http://www.news.com/8301-10789_3-9859513-57.html|archive-date=October 15, 2008}}</ref> The date was chosen because it was the birthday of [[Death of Lisa McPherson|Lisa McPherson]].<ref name="anonat">{{Cite web|last=Greenwald|first=Will|url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-9869003-1.html |title=Anonymous Attacks!|date=February 11, 2008|work=CNET|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120829171355/http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-9869003-1.html|archive-date=August 29, 2012}}</ref> According to a letter Anonymous e-mailed to the press, about 7,000 people protested in more than 90 cities worldwide.<ref name="MoncadaFeb12">{{Cite news|author=Carlos Moncada|title=Organizers Tout Scientology Protest, Plan Another|url=http://suncoastpinellas.tbo.com/content/2008/feb/12/organizers-tout-scientology-protest-plan-another/|newspaper=[[The Tampa Tribune|TBO.com]]|date=February 12, 2008|access-date=February 13, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210160057/http://suncoastpinellas.tbo.com/content/2008/feb/12/organizers-tout-scientology-protest-plan-another/|archive-date=February 10, 2012}}</ref> Many protesters wore masks based on the character [[V (character)|V]] from ''[[V for Vendetta]]'' (who was influenced by [[Guy Fawkes]]) or otherwise disguised their identities, in part to protect themselves from reprisals from the Church of Scientology.<ref name="StateNews">{{Cite news|last=Harrison|first=James (''[[The State News]]'')|title=Scientology protestors take action around world|date=February 12, 2008|url=http://www.statenews.com/index.php/blog/entertainment/2008/02/internet_group_|access-date=February 14, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021185521/http://statenews.com/index.php/blog/entertainment/2008/02/internet_group_|archive-date=October 21, 2013}}</ref><ref name="ForresterFeb11">{{Cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/02/11/dozens_of_masked_protesters_blast_scientology_church/|title=Dozens of masked protesters blast Scientology church|first=John|last=Forrester|date=February 11, 2008|access-date=February 15, 2008|newspaper=The Boston Globe |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131027072840/http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/02/11/dozens_of_masked_protesters_blast_scientology_church/|archive-date=October 27, 2013}}</ref> Many further protests have followed since then in cities around the world.<ref name="RamadgeMar17">{{Cite news|author=Andrew Ramadge |title=Second round of Anonymous v Scientology |url=http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,25642,23389091-5014239,00.html |work=[[News.com.au]] |date=March 17, 2008 |access-date=March 17, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091006062843/http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0%2C25642%2C23389091-5014239%2C00.html |archive-date=October 6, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The [[Arbitration Committee (Wikipedia)|Arbitration Committee]] of the Wikipedia internet encyclopedia decided in May 2009 to restrict access to its site from Church of Scientology IP addresses, to prevent self-serving edits by Scientologists.<ref name="Huff">{{Cite news|url=https://huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/29/wikipedia-bans-scientolog_n_208967.html|last=Shea|first=Danny|title=Wikipedia Bans Scientology From Site|date=May 29, 2009|work=The Huffington Post|access-date=May 29, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120905124710/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/29/wikipedia-bans-scientolog_n_208967.html|url-status=live|archive-date=September 5, 2012}}</ref><ref name="Metz">{{Cite web|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/05/29/wikipedia_bans_scientology/|title=Wikipedia bans Church of Scientology|last=Metz|first=Cade|date=May 29, 2009|website=The Register|access-date=May 29, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110403144305/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/05/29/wikipedia_bans_scientology/|url-status=live|archive-date=April 3, 2011}}</ref> A "host of anti-Scientologist editors" were topic-banned as well.<ref name="Huff" /><ref name="Metz" /> The committee concluded that both sides had "gamed policy" and resorted to "battlefield tactics", with articles on living persons being the "worst casualties".<ref name="Huff" />