Once reviews are identified, a company can take steps to remove them. Generally, reviews can be removed in one of three ways: reporting the review to the FTC, reporting the review to the hosting platform, and pursuing legal action. The most efficient way to tackle and...
OVERVIEW & EXPERIENCE
Ali leads KJK’s nationally recognized Internet Defamation and Content Removal group, focusing on reputation management and brand protection through the removal of damaging internet content.
Ali curates sophisticated content removal strategies for both individuals and brands seeking to manage their online reputations, which includes removing negative business reviews, online defamation, social media posts, news articles, and more. Ali thrives at identifying the source of anonymous online reputational attacks and harassment, utilizing her experience in cyber-investigation and filing John Doe lawsuits to help clients reclaim their reputations. Her experience in nuanced internet search techniques allows her to assist clients in addressing complex internet issues, including the aftermath of hacked social media and cloud-based accounts.
Ali frequently removes harmful and sensitive content – including revenge porn – from social media platforms including Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Reddit, attaining removal without bringing more exposure to damaging issues. She assists high-profile clients, celebrities, and content creators in the entertainment industry, including stars appearing on RuPaul’s Drag Race and the Real Housewives television franchise.
Additionally, Ali advises businesses and influencers on brand protection, intellectual property registration and infringement, licensing, and policy enforcement on platforms like Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Shopify, Temu and Alibaba. Her experience in identifying the source of negative online reviews, often stemming from competitors engaging in unfair business practices, allows her to assist clients in removing negative content on review platforms like Google My Business, Yelp, RateMDs, Vitals, Healthgrades, RealSelf, Avvo and more.
Ali is a thought leader in the developing space of internet law, having authored hundreds of articles on emerging legal issues and offering contemporary solutions through her insights. Her work often sets case precedent, and she is a frequent commentator in the media for internet-related issues, providing insight to outlets including, National Public Radio (NPR), the New York Times, Bloomberg Law, Yahoo News, Courthouse News, and more. Her articles on AI-generated Revenge Porn and “Are We Dating the Same Guy” Facebook groups have been cited by Wikipedia.
Ali’s Internet Defamation and Content Removal practice frequently overlaps with KJK’s eCommerce, Intellectual Property, and Cyber Security & Data Breach practice groups. When working on legal matters involving the internet, Ali can assist clients in devising strategies that achieve multiple goals.
Prior to becoming an attorney, Ali served as the founder and CEO of a digital marketing, brand management, and advertising firm, where she managed a diverse portfolio of clients, including Fortune 500 companies and celebrities. Her unique mix of business, marketing, and legal experience, allows her to see cases from multiple angles and deliver comprehensive representation which can include the release of public media statements.
Ali is a member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and is an avid volunteer for Second Star Ohio and A Special Wish Foundation, two organizations that grant wishes for children suffering from life-threatening illnesses.
Representative Experience
- Negotiated $500,000 settlement for company leadership member targeted by anonymous email threats and domain name purchases.
- Unmasked the source of domain squatters optimizing stolen domain name to threaten employees of a non-profit and secured removal of infringing domain name.
- Attained 1-million-dollar judgment for clients defamed on Ripoff Report and subsequently secured removal of the Ripoff Report URLs from Google and Bing.
- Privately elicited the removal of two viral YouTube videos, a Medium.com article, and accompanying social media posts published by a prominent YouTuber with over 1 Million subscribers about a celebrity performer.
- Assisted former Playboy model in attaining ownership rights to images from a photoshoot and removed the images from the Internet.
- Investigated various Facebook and Instagram accounts defaming a company’s products and discovered that the publications were made by a competitor. Subsequently filed suit to seek damages.
- Secured the immediate removal of 984 URL’s depicting a young woman’s hacked intimate photos published without her consent.
- Assisted young woman in removing underage photos and assisted FBI in identifying threats to prosecute responsible parties. Facilitated the enacting of a “block” on pornography sites to prevent republication of content.
AWARDS & PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Awards
- CALI Award: Copyright, Patent, and Trademark Law
- ABA Bloomberg BNA Award: Intellectual Property Law
Professional Affiliations
- Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
- Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)
BAR / COURT ADMISSIONS
- Ohio
CIVIC INVOLVEMENT
- A Special Wish Foundation
- Volunteer, 2014 – Present
MEDIA MENTIONS
- ‘Are We Dating the Same Guy?’: do Facebook groups harm or help?, The Week, April 9, 2024
- California’s Fast Food Wage Increases April 1, Breaking Down BDSM and Kinks, and LAist Report on Affording Family Housing, AirTalk with Larry Mantle, March 27, 2024
- Montana’s First-in-the-US TikTok Ban Sows Doubt on Enforcement, Bloomberg Law, May 19, 2023
- US Cybersecurity Firm Redbot Security Unmasks Malicious Insider Behind Internet Attacks, Cision PR Newswire, April 11, 2023
- Sidebar: The Right to be Forgotten, Courthouse News Service, March 1, 2022
PRESENTATIONS & PUBLICATIONS
Presentations
- Help! My kid is getting in trouble at school and with the law. What do I do? – State Support Team Region 2’s Virtual Transition Fair, April 29, 2021
- Removing Defamatory, Infringing and Negative Information from the Internet: Practical Guidance, Feb. 6, 2020
Publications
- Arko, Ali, & Albion, Hannah. (2024). How to Protect Your Brand From Competitors in the New Year. The Licensing Journal, 44(1). Wolters Kluwer.
PRACTICE AREAS
EDUCATION
- Cleveland State University Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, J.D., 2017
- Max I Korhman Public Interest Fellowship
- Ohio University, B.S., Communications, 2012