page_title: Scientology and the Internet
hierarchical_section_title: Scientology and the Internet
caption_attribution_description: Protest by an Internet group calling itself 'Anonymous' against the practices and tax status of the w:Church of Scientology. The protesters believe the church is a cult that harms it practitioners, and that its tax-free status as a church should be revoked, as, they claim, it appears to be more of a corporation. The mask is in reference to the internet meme Epic Fail Guy, who wears a Guy Fawkes mask, likely originating from the V for Vendetta movie.
context_page_description: There are a number of disputes concerning the Church of Scientology's attempts to suppress material critical of Scientology on the Internet, utilizing various methods – primarily lawsuits and legal threats, as well as front organizations. In late 1994, the Church of Scientology began using various legal tactics to stop distribution of unpublished documents written by L. Ron Hubbard. The Church of Scientology is often accused of barratry through the filing of SLAPP suits. The official church response is that its litigious nature is solely to protect its copyrighted works and the unpublished status of certain documents.
  Various critics of the Church of Scientology have characterized the organization as a confidence scam and claim that these secretive writings are proof, or allege that they contain evidence that the Church of Scientology's medical practices are illegal and fraudulent. Scientology has been convicted of fraud in the courts of several nations, although not those of the United States. Others have claimed that the Church of Scientology is abusing copyright law by launching lawsuits against outspoken critics.
context_section_description: There are a number of disputes concerning the Church of Scientology's attempts to suppress material critical of Scientology on the Internet, utilizing various methods – primarily lawsuits and legal threats, as well as front organizations. In late 1994, the Church of Scientology began using various legal tactics to stop distribution of unpublished documents written by L. Ron Hubbard. The Church of Scientology is often accused of barratry through the filing of SLAPP suits. The official church response is that its litigious nature is solely to protect its copyrighted works and the unpublished status of certain documents.
  Various critics of the Church of Scientology have characterized the organization as a confidence scam and claim that these secretive writings are proof, or allege that they contain evidence that the Church of Scientology's medical practices are illegal and fraudulent. Scientology has been convicted of fraud in the courts of several nations, although not those of the United States. Others have claimed that the Church of Scientology is abusing copyright law by launching lawsuits against outspoken critics.
caption: A member of the Internet group Anonymous which has held protests in many countries against the CoS every month since January 2008.
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