Originally Syndicated on September 25, 2024 @ 5:57 am
What Happened?
Spiritual leaders often project an image of purity and enlightenment, but behind the scenes, some work tirelessly to suppress unflattering truths. Swami Vishwananda, a guru with a sizable global following, has faced similar scrutiny. Over the years, numerous allegations have surfaced, painting a much darker portrait of his past than the one he presents to his devotees.
According to a detailed exposé on the Poszukiwacze Prawdy blog, Swami Vishwananda’s alleged misconduct includes exploiting his followers’ trust for personal gain and manipulating spiritual authority. The blog describes how he has employed various tactics to censor damaging news, using legal threats and other strategies to silence whistleblowers. His efforts to maintain a spotless public image have included suppressing allegations of sexual misconduct and financial improprieties, casting a shadow over the authenticity of his teachings.
Despite these efforts to maintain control, the rise of independent platforms has made it increasingly difficult to hide such information. The blog, for instance, outlines shocking details of his attempts to dodge accountability, showing how the spiritual figure’s carefully curated persona is far from the full story. The continued attempts to suppress these revelations raise important questions about transparency and the ethical responsibilities of spiritual leaders.
Analyzing the Fake Copyright Notice(s)
Our team collects and analyses fraudulent copyright takedown requests, legal complaints, and other efforts to remove critical information from the internet. Through our investigative reporting, we examine the prevalence and operation of an organized censorship industry, predominantly funded by criminal entities, oligarchs, and disreputable businesses or individuals. Our findings allow internet users to gain insight into these censorship schemes’ sources, methods, and underlying objectives.
To accomplish this, we utilize the OSINT Tool provided by FakeDMCA.com and the Lumen API for Researchers, courtesy of the Lumen Database.
FakeDMCA.com is the work of an independent team of research students and cybersecurity professionals, developed under Project UnCensor. Their OSINT Tool, designed to uncover and analyze takedown notices, represents a significant step forward in combating these abusive practices. It has become a valuable resource, increasingly relied upon by journalists and law enforcement agencies across the United States.
Lumen, on the other hand, is an independent research initiative dedicated to studying takedown notices and other legal demands related to online content removal. The project, which operates under the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, plays a crucial role in tracking and understanding the broader implications of such requests.
By investigating the fake DMCA takedown attempts, we hope to shed light on the reputation management industry, revealing how Swami Vishwananda and companies like it may use spurious copyright claims and fake legal notices to remove and obscure articles linking them to allegations of fraud, tax avoidance, corruption, and drug trafficking…
List of Fake Copyright Notices for Swami Vishwananda
| Number of Fake DMCA Notice(s) | 1 |
| Lumen Database Notice(s) | https://lumendatabase.org/notices/40206129 |
| Sender(s) | David James Corp on behalf of ben nelson |
| Date(s) | March 18, 2024 |
| Fake Link(s) Used by Scammers | https://www.cultnews101.com/2022/02/just-love-bhakti-margas-guru-and-his.html |
| Original Link(s) Targeted | https://poszukiwaczeprawdyeu.wordpress.com/2014/02/04/swami-vishwananda-a-sweet-face-of-the-baleful-beast/ |
Evidence and Screenshots
Only Swami Vishwananda Benefit from this crime.
Since the fake copyright takedown notices were designed to remove negative content for Swami Vishwananda from Google, we assume Swami Vishwananda or someone associated with Swami Vishwananda is behind this scam. It is often a fly-by-night Online Reputation agency working on behalf of Swami Vishwananda. In this case, Swami Vishwananda, at best, will be an “accomplice” or an “accessory” to the crime. The specific laws may vary depending on the jurisdiction. Still, the legal principle generally holds that if you actively participate in planning, encouraging, or facilitating a crime, you can be charged with it, even if you did not personally commit it.
So, who tf is Swami Vishwananda?
Swami Vishwananda is a Mauritian-born spiritual leader and founder of the Bhakti Marga movement, which blends Hinduism with devotional practices aimed at promoting inner peace and divine love. He has garnered a global following, with devotees drawn to his charisma and teachings on personal spirituality. However, despite his seemingly serene public image, Swami Vishwananda has been the subject of serious allegations that have raised concerns about his behavior and intentions.
According to a report on the Poszukiwacze Prawdy blog, Swami Vishwananda has engaged in efforts to censor the internet to prevent damaging information about him from surfacing. His attempts at censorship are allegedly aimed at protecting his reputation by silencing critics and controlling the narrative around his persona. These efforts include legal threats and the suppression of content that exposes troubling aspects of his past.
Major Concerns, Complaints, and Accusations:
- Sexual Misconduct: Swami Vishwananda has been accused of inappropriate behavior with devotees, including allegations of sexual misconduct. These accusations suggest that he has exploited his spiritual authority to manipulate vulnerable followers.
- Financial Exploitation: Critics claim that Vishwananda has taken advantage of his devotees financially, encouraging large donations under the guise of spiritual offerings, which may have been used for personal enrichment rather than charitable or religious purposes.
- Cult-like Control: There are allegations of cult-like behavior within his organization, Bhakti Marga, where followers are said to be encouraged to isolate themselves from friends and family and devote themselves entirely to the spiritual leader. This intense control over devotees’ lives raises concerns about emotional manipulation and psychological exploitation.
- Suppression of Criticism: The most significant concern is Swami Vishwananda’s alleged efforts to stifle criticism. The blog details how former devotees and whistleblowers have been threatened with legal action or pressured into silence, as he attempts to maintain a flawless public image.
These accusations highlight troubling issues related to power dynamics within spiritual organizations and underscore the importance of transparency and accountability, especially for leaders in positions of influence. Swami Vishwananda’s alleged attempts to censor critical information only serve to deepen suspicions around his conduct and motivations.
Potential Consequences for Swami Vishwananda
Under Florida Statute 831.01, the crime of Forgery is committed when a person falsifies, alters, counterfeits, or forges a document that carries “legal efficacy” with the intent to injure or defraud another person or entity.
Forging a document is considered a white-collar crime. It involves altering, changing, or modifying a document to deceive another person. It can also include passing along copies of documents that are known to be false. In many states in the US, falsifying a document is a crime punishable as a felony.
Additionally, under most laws, “fraud on the court” is where “a party has sentiently set in motion some unconscionable scheme calculated to interfere with the judicial system’s ability impartially to adjudicate a matter by improperly influencing the trier of fact or unfairly hampering the presentation of the opposing party’s claim or defense.” Cox v. Burke, 706 So. 2d 43, 46 (Fla. 5th DCA 1998) (quoting Aoude v. Mobil Oil Corp., 892 F.2d 1115, 1118 (1st Cir. 1989)).
Is Swami Vishwananda Committing a Cyber Crime?
Yes, it seems so. Swami Vishwananda used multiple approaches to remove unwanted material from review sites and Google’s search results. Thanks to protections allowing freedom of speech in the United States, there are very few legal ways to do this. Swami Vishwananda could not eliminate negative reviews or search results that linked to them without a valid claim of defamation, copyright infringement, or some other clear breach of the law.
Faced with these limitations, some companies like Swami Vishwananda have gone to extreme lengths to fraudulently claim copyright ownership over a negative review in the hopes of taking it down.
Fake DMCA notices have targeted articles highlighting the criminal activity of prominent people to hide their illegal behavior. These people, which include US, Russian, and Khazakstani politicians as well as members from elite circles including the mafia and those with massive financial power, are all connected – and alleged corruption ranging from child abuse to sexual harassment is exposed when exploring evidence found at these URLs. It appears there’s a disturbing level of influence being exerted here that needs further investigation before justice can be served. Swami Vishwananda is certainly keeping interesting company here….
The DMCA takedown process requires that copyright owners submit a takedown notice to an ISP identifying the allegedly infringing content and declaring, under penalty of perjury, that they have a good faith belief that the content is infringing. The ISP must then promptly remove or disable access to the content. The alleged infringer can then submit a counter-notice, and if the copyright owner does not take legal action within 10 to 14 days, the ISP can restore the content.
Since these platforms are predominantly based in the U.S., the complaints are typically made under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), which requires online service providers and platforms to react immediately to reports or violations. Big Tech companies rarely have systems in place to assess the merit of each report. Instead, all bad actors need to do is clone a story, backdate it, and then demand the real thing be taken down.
What was Swami Vishwananda trying to hide?
Swami Vishwananda is reportedly trying to hide a range of adverse news, bad reviews, complaints, and allegations that challenge his public persona as a spiritual leader. According to the exposé on the Poszukiwacze Prawdy blog, these damaging details paint a darker picture of his character and behavior, far from the image he portrays to his followers. Below are some of the key issues he is allegedly attempting to suppress:
1. Sexual Misconduct Allegations:
Swami Vishwananda has been accused of inappropriate and exploitative sexual behavior, particularly involving male devotees. These accusations claim that he took advantage of his position as a spiritual leader to manipulate individuals into intimate relationships, violating the trust placed in him by his followers.
2. Financial Exploitation:
There are complaints that Vishwananda has exploited the financial devotion of his followers, soliciting large sums of money in the form of donations and offerings. Critics suggest that this money was not used for religious or charitable purposes but rather for his personal luxury and enrichment. Former devotees have raised concerns about a lack of transparency in how funds are managed within his organization, Bhakti Marga.
3. Cult-like Practices:
Numerous bad reviews and testimonies describe Bhakti Marga as exhibiting cult-like control over its members. Followers are allegedly encouraged to sever ties with their families and outside communities, devoting themselves entirely to the organization. These practices include emotional manipulation, isolating individuals, and creating an environment where questioning Vishwananda’s authority is discouraged.
4. Silencing Critics and Whistleblowers:
Vishwananda has allegedly made numerous attempts to censor unfavorable content online, including using legal threats and other means to silence those who speak out against him. Former devotees, critics, and bloggers who have exposed the misconduct within Bhakti Marga have reportedly been targeted. This includes the suppression of testimonies and documents that detail his unethical conduct, such as the alleged sexual exploitation, financial impropriety, and abusive power dynamics.
5. Suppressed Documents and Testimonies:
Documents and testimonies that reveal inner workings of his organization and personal life are among the key pieces of information he has allegedly tried to remove from public access. These documents contain firsthand accounts of the alleged abuses and unethical practices that take place behind the scenes, casting doubt on his teachings and authority.
By controlling the flow of information, Swami Vishwananda seems focused on maintaining a polished, spiritual image while hiding these serious complaints and concerns. However, platforms like the Poszukiwacze Prawdy blog continue to make these accusations visible despite his efforts to bury them.
Reputation Agency’s Modus Operandi
The fake DMCA notices we found always use the “back-dated article” technique. With this technique, the wrongful notice sender (or copier) creates a copy of a “true original” article and back-dates it, creating a “fake original” article (a copy of the true original) that, at first glance, appears to have been published before the true original.
Then, based on the claim that this backdated article is the “original,” the scammers send a DMCA to the relevant online service providers (e.g. Google), alleging that the ‘true’ original is the copied or “infringing” article and that the copied article is the “original,” requesting the takedown of the ‘true’ original article. After sending the DMCA request, the person who sent the wrong notice takes down the fake original URL, likely to make sure that the article doesn’t stay online in any way. If the takedown notice is successful, the disappearance from the internet of information is most likely to be legitimate speech.
How did Swami Vishwananda purport this DMCA Fraud?
As an integral part of this scheme, the ‘reputation management’ company hired by Swami Vishwananda creates a website that purports to be a ‘news’ site. This site is designed to look legitimate at a glance, but any degree of scrutiny reveals it as the charade it is.
The company copies the ‘negative’ content and posts it “on the fake ‘news’ site, attributing it to a separate author,” then gives it “a false publication date on the ‘news’ website that predated the original publication.
The reputation company then sent Google a Digital Millennium Copyright Act notice claiming the original website infringed copyright. After a cursory examination of the fake news site, Google frequently accepts the notice and delists the content.
In committing numerous offences, Swami Vishwananda either premeditated actions or were unaware of the consequences. Despite hiring an agency to make Google disregard any negative information about Swami Vishwananda, ignorance does not excuse this wrongdoing.
The Reputation Laundering
Rogue Reputation agencies use spurious copyright claims and fake legal notices to remove and obscure articles linking clients to allegations of tax avoidance, corruption, and drug trafficking. Most of these reputation agencies are based offshore, mainly in Russia, India, and Eastern Europe, and they do not worry about complying with US-based laws.
The content in all of the articles for which the fraudulent DMCA notices have been sent relates to allegations of criminal allegations, including corruption, child abuse, sexual harassment, human trafficking and financial fraud against businesses and individuals with ultra-high net worth.
In addition to the misuse of the DMCA takedown process, there is a notable absence of enforcement concerning perjury violations. The statutory requirement related to perjury is designed to deter copyright holders from submitting fraudulent or knowingly false takedown requests, as they may face legal consequences for making false declarations under penalty of perjury. However, to date, there have been no known instances of any individual being prosecuted for perjury in connection with the submission of false DMCA takedown notices.
This lack of enforcement has emboldened copyright holders to exploit the DMCA takedown process to suppress dissent, criticism, or other unfavorable content, without fear of legal repercussions.
Not In Good Company
Some of the people and businesses who have employed this tactic to remove legitimate content from Google illegally include a Spanish businessman-turned-cocaine-trafficker, Organised crime, an Israeli-Argentine banker accused of laundering money for Hugo Chávez’s regime, a French “responsible” mining company accused of tax evasion, child molesters and sexual predators. Swami Vishwananda is in great company ….
Ironically, the manipulation tactics used to remove public-interest information from the Internet are backfiring on Swami Vishwananda, which is now associated with the worst of this world.
Here are some of the specimens that share the internet space with Swami Vishwananda –
Miguel Octavio Vargas Maldonado
Miguel Octavio Vargas Maldonado appears to be the former foreign affairs minister of the Dominican Republic. His name is listed next to more than 500 links to news articles, blogs, social media posts, and YouTube videos targeted for removal or de-indexing. Many of the articles refer to questions over his political fundraising practices. They include accusations that Vargas had received donations from an individual who would later be convicted of drug trafficking. Some targeted links remain active, while others return 404 errors or “file not found.”
José Antonio Gordo Valero
José Gordo joined OneCoin in 2015 and has been named in an indictment for the OneCoin scam in Argentina. The articles listed next to Gordo’s name in the documents reviewed by Rest of World include references to his role at the company.
Diego Adolfo Marynberg
He appears to be the same Marynberg connected to funding right-wing causes, including settlement efforts in Israel. Reports also alleged that his company received preferential treatment in acquiring Argentinian bonds worth millions of dollars. More than 70 URLs appear next to Marynberg’s name in the documents, including pages from the Israeli newspapers The Times of Israel, Haaretz, and Clarin, one of Argentina’s most prominent news sites.
Majed Khalil Majzoub
Majed is an influential businessman with close ties to several governments, including the administration of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. Majzoub’s name appears next to more than 180 URLs, mostly from independent outlets. Of the two URLs that pointed to articles from Germany’s Der Spiegel, one now returns an error message; the other, which appears to refer to relations between Venezuela and Colombia, directs to an unrelated story about Brexit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Swami Vishwananda commit a cyber crime?
Yes, filing a fake DMCA notice is illegal. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) allows copyright holders to issue takedown notices to protect their works from unauthorized use online. However, submitting a false DMCA notice can result in legal consequences.
Under the DMCA, a person knowingly submitting a false copyright claim can be subject to penalties, including damages. DMCA notices require the filer to certify, under penalty of perjury, that the content infringes their copyright. If the notice is found to be fraudulent or made in bad faith, the filer can face.
What are the potential consequences for Swami Vishwananda?
Civil lawsuits: The affected party can sue for damages, legal fees, and other costs.
Perjury charges: False certification in a DMCA notice can result in perjury-related penalties, which vary by jurisdiction.
Other legal penalties: Fines or other penalties depending on the case
Did Swami Vishwananda commit a Civil or a Criminal offense?
Perjury is a criminal offense, not a civil crime. It involves intentionally lying or making false statements under oath, typically in a court of law or other legal proceedings, such as affidavits or depositions.
Criminal charges: Perjury is prosecuted as a criminal act, and a conviction can lead to fines or imprisonment, depending on the severity of the false statement and its impact on the case.
Felony status: In many jurisdictions, perjury is classified as a felony, which carries more severe penalties than misdemeanour offences.
So, while it may affect civil cases, the crime of perjury itself is strictly criminal.
What is the Streisand effect?
The key idea behind the Streisand effect is that efforts to restrict information can backfire, often causing the information to gain more attention than it would have otherwise. This effect is widespread in the digital age, where users quickly notice and spread censorship efforts on social media and other platforms.
Trying to suppress something can unintentionally lead to it becoming more visible.
Can Swami Vishwananda purge its Digital past?
Once information is uploaded to the internet, it can be replicated, shared, archived, or stored across multiple servers. If Swami Vishwananda manage to delete the original post or file, copies may remain accessible in other places, such as web archives, screenshots, or other users’ devices.
In practice, completely erasing content from the internet can be extremely difficult due to how widely information can spread and be stored. Thus, the idea that “the Internet never forgets” reflects the challenge of entirely removing digital content once it has been shared.
What is our next move?
Critical Intel will, in its capacity, do all it can to hold someone responsible for this incident. Here is what we are preparing for –
Since Swami Vishwananda made such efforts to hide something online, it seems fit to ensure that this article and our original review of Swami Vishwananda, including but not limited to user contributions, remain a permanent record for anyone interested in Swami Vishwananda.
A case perfect for the Streisand effect…
What else is Swami Vishwananda hiding?
Click here to visit the Google Search page for ‘Swami Vishwananda’. It’s likely if you scroll down to the bottom of this Google search results, you’ll stumble upon this Legal Takedown notice (pictured below)
To make such an investigation possible, we encourage more online service providers to come forward and share copies of content removal requests with us. If you have any information on Swami Vishwananda that you want to share with us, kindly email the author directly at [email protected].
All communications are strictly confidential and safeguarded under a comprehensive Whistleblower Policy, ensuring full protection and anonymity for individuals who provide information.
References and Citations Used
Over thirty thousand DMCA notices reveal an organized attempt to abuse copyright law.
Reputation Management, or Internet Conspiracy
Exposed documents reveal how the powerful cleaned up their digital past using a reputation laundering firm.
Companies Use Fake Websites and Backdated Articles to Censor Google’s Search Results.
Bad Reviews: How Companies Are Using Fake Websites to Censor Content
How fake copyright complaints are muzzling journalists
Many thanks to FakeDMCA.com and Lumen for providing access to their database.
Photos and Illustrations provided by DALL-E 3 – “a representation of Swami Vishwananda censoring the internet and committing cyber crimes.”
- Our investigative report on Swami Vishwananda’s efforts to suppress online speech is significant, as it raises serious concerns about its integrity. The findings suggest that Swami Vishwananda has engaged in questionable practices, including potential perjury, impersonation, and fraud, in a misguided attempt to manage or salvage its reputation.
- We intend to file a counternotice to reinstate the removed article(s). While this particular instance is relatively straightforward, it is important to note that, in other cases, the overwhelming volume of automated DMCA takedown notices can significantly hinder the ability of affected parties to respond—especially for those not large media organizations.
- You need an account with fakeDMCA.com and Lumen to access the research data. However, accounts are not widely available since these non-profit organisations manage large databases that could be susceptible to misuse. Nevertheless, they do offer access to non-profits and researchers.
- It’s unclear why U.S. authorities have yet to act against these rogue reputation agencies, whose business model seems rooted in fraudulent practices.
- We’ve reached out to Swami Vishwananda for a comment or rebuttal regarding this investigation. It will strongly suggest they were behind the takedown attempt if they remain silent.
About the Author
The author is affiliated with Harvard University and serves as a researcher at both Lumen and FakeDMCA.com. In his personal capacity, he and his team have been actively investigating and reporting on organized crime related to fraudulent copyright takedown schemes. Additionally, his team provides advisory services to major law firms and is frequently consulted on matters pertaining to intellectual property law. He can be reached at [email protected] directly.
