A South Wales entrepreneur has chosen to put his legal skills to good use with the launch of a new business that will help individuals protect their reputations online.
Jeevan Mann, who graduated from Swansea University in 2022, is aiming to help UK citizens tap into the ‘Right to be Forgotten’ legislation introduced under UK GDPR rules.
It means his company – Reputation Online – can assist clients in removing unwanted personal content from major search engines, such as Google, Bing and Yahoo.
Around £20,000 of his own money has been invested into launching the venture and creating a custom-built online portal to securely handle all cases quickly and efficiently by a team of legal experts carefully assembled from across the UK.
Funding has also been used in purchasing office space in Cardiff, securing the valuable www.reputation.online website address and marketing activities designed at educating people on the importance of ensuring your online presence does not cause you issues with work and in day-to-day life.
“I’ve always been inspired by my late grandad to set-up my own business and Reputation Online gives me the ideal opportunity to use my legal skills to help make a positive difference to people’s lives,” explained Jeevan Mann.
“The work we do is very rewarding, as we help victims of harassment and bullying to individuals who have been wrongfully convicted. I have had first-hand experience of dealing with the latter, as I worked on the Miscarriage of Justice programme during my time at university.”
He continued: “We are using my legal experience and the knowledge of our lawyers to help individuals have a positive online presence, instead of fearing for the time when embarrassing pictures or minor incidents are picked up on searches.
“It’s a positive change for families, individuals and eventually businesses, giving them the opportunity to have a successful future.
“We have a code of ethics that is strictly adhered to and each case will be thoroughly discussed to ensure that we are acting in accordance with ‘the Right to be Forgotten’ legislation.”
Reputation Online will initially have the capacity to offer a tailored service to 100 new clients each month, with this figure doubling by the start of its second year.
The company will offer three main services, starting with existing online content removal from major search engines and then working with the client to rebuild and restore their online reputation.
From here, our expert team will work with the individual on creating a positive online presence, which could be through monitoring online mentions, influencing perceptions and providing communications support to keep reputations intact.
“After establishing a robust presence in the UK, our next step will be to strategically expand our services to other countries where the demand for online reputation management is growing,” added Jeevan.
“This could include the European Union, Canada, Australia and all locations that share similar digital privacy concerns and regulations as the UK.”
He concluded: “Initial efforts are focused on individuals, but our longer-term business plan is to also work with businesses who need the same type of support.
“Given the rapid digital transformation of the corporate landscape, companies of all sizes are vulnerable to online threats, negative reviews and misinformation and this is definitely something we will be able to help with going forward.”
