An injunction preventing online harassment of a transgender sex worker
Case summary
In the case of GYH v Persons Unknown [2018] EWHC 212 (QB) Yair Cohen acted for a client who was a transgender and who worked as an escort. The case concerned online reviews and other publications, mainly on adult advertising websites, which sought to humiliate GYH and harm her private clients escort business.
The reviews and publications disclosed the fact that GYH a transgender and they published false claims that she was practicing unsafe sex and that she had HIV. This significantly harmed her business and her ability to continue to see her wealthy clients.
Case outcome
GYH was granted a privacy injunction to protect her privacy and her right to maintain her gender undisclosed to potential clients an to protect her private medical information, so far as the unsubstantiated claims about her HIV positive status went. GYH was also granted an injunction under the protect her from harassment, under the Protection from Harassment Act.
Furthermore, she was granted a number of third party disclosure orders (NPOs), including one against Virgin Media, which eventually disclosed the identity of the broadband account holder, from which the harassing posts had been posted.
Learn more about the case of GYH V Persons Unknown
The Internet Law Centre
Explaining the judgement in the case of GYH v Persons Unknown
Read judgement
GYH v Persons Unknown [2018] EWHC 121 (QB) (01 February 2018) (bailii.org)