Glossary of online reputation, PR and cyber security terms
Online reputation, content removal, PR, AI and cyber security terms, each on its own page with examples and what to watch for.
A
- Abuse reportAn abuse report notifies a hosting, domain or email provider of a violation on its infrastructure.
- Access ban (Turkey)An access ban blocks access to a piece of online content from Turkey by court or administrative order; the content is not deleted, just unreachable from Turkey.
- Account takeoverAccount takeover is when someone gains control of a social, email or business account through a password, session cookie or phone number.
- Ad disclosure on social mediaAd disclosure means clearly labelling paid or gifted social posts as advertising, for example "#ad"; regulators in the UK, EU and Turkey require it.
- AdvertorialAn advertorial is paid promotional content published in the style of an article; readers must be told clearly that it is advertising.
- AI hallucinationAI hallucination is when language models like ChatGPT confidently produce information that is not true, which can mean false claims about people and brands.
- AI training dataAI training data is the text, images and audio that language and image models learn from, much of it collected from the web.
- AnonymisationAnonymisation makes the person in a piece of content unidentifiable; replacing a name with initials and removing the photo is the common form in news.
B
- BacklinkA backlink is a link from another site to yours; search engines treat it as a signal of trust and authority.
- Bot networkA bot network is a group of fake or automated accounts acting in coordination to spread a message or damage a target.
- Brand monitoringBrand monitoring is regularly tracking how a brand is mentioned in news, social media, review sites, search results and AI answers.
C
- Cached pageA cached page is the old copy a search engine keeps; even after the source changes, the result's title and snippet can show the old version for a while.
- Canonical tagA canonical tag tells search engines which URL is the main version when the same or very similar content lives at several addresses.
- CEO fraud (business email compromise)CEO fraud uses emails or calls impersonating executives or suppliers to get a company to make fraudulent payments.
- Community managementCommunity management is a brand's ongoing dialogue with followers on social media, forums and in-app communities, including moderating comments.
- Conflict of interest (Wikipedia)On Wikipedia, a conflict of interest exists when someone edits about themselves, their employer or a client; the relationship must be disclosed.
- Consent (data protection)Consent in data protection is a specific, informed and freely given agreement to the processing of personal data; it can be withdrawn.
- Content Credentials (C2PA)Content Credentials are a C2PA-based record showing who created an image or video, with which tool, and how it was edited.
- Content IDContent ID is YouTube's copyright system that automatically matches uploads against reference files from rights holders.
- Content marketingContent marketing builds trust and demand with useful guides, research and video rather than direct selling.
- Content removalContent removal is getting harmful or unlawful online content deleted at source, anonymised or delisted from search engines.
- CookiesA cookie is a small data file a site stores in your browser to keep you signed in, measure visits or recognise you for advertising.
- CopyrightCopyright gives creators rights over the use of original works such as photos, text, video, music and software.
- Copyright strikeA copyright strike is the penalty a platform applies to a channel after a valid takedown; on YouTube three strikes close the channel.
- Core Web VitalsCore Web Vitals are Google's metrics for how fast a page loads (LCP), responds (INP) and stays visually stable (CLS).
- Crisis communicationCrisis communication is fast, consistent and honest communication with the press, customers, staff and public during an event that threatens reputation.
- CyberbullyingCyberbullying is systematic harassment, humiliation and threats against someone through social media, messaging or gaming platforms.
D
- Damages for non-material harmDamages for non-material harm compensate the distress caused by a violation of personality rights.
- Dark web monitoringDark web monitoring tracks leaked passwords, data and documents belonging to a company or its executives on illicit forums and markets.
- Data breachA data breach is personal or company data reaching unauthorised people; it brings both legal notification duties and a reputation crisis.
- Data controllerThe data controller decides why and how personal data is processed and is the addressee of GDPR and KVKK requests.
- DDoS attackA DDoS attack floods a site or service with traffic from many devices to make it unavailable.
- DeepfakeA deepfake is synthetic video, image or audio that uses AI to place a real person's face, voice or movements into content that never happened.
- DefamationDefamation is a false statement of fact that damages a person's or company's reputation; insults and slurs are treated similarly in many countries.
- DelistingDelisting means a search engine stops showing a page in certain searches even though the page stays online.
- Digital evidenceDigital evidence documents online content with screenshots, links, archive copies and files for use in legal processes.
- Digital Services Act (DSA)The Digital Services Act (DSA) is the EU regulation requiring online platforms to handle illegal content notices, explain their decisions and offer appeals.
- DisinformationDisinformation is false information spread deliberately to cause harm; misinformation is shared without knowing it is false.
- DMARC, SPF and DKIMDMARC, SPF and DKIM are DNS records that make it hard for others to send fake email from your domain and improve deliverability.
- DMCAThe DMCA is the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act; its notices get copyright-infringing content removed by platforms and hosts.
- DMCA counter noticeA DMCA counter notice is the uploader's formal objection asking a platform to restore content removed by a mistaken or abusive takedown.
- Domain nameA domain name is a site's address on the internet and the base of a brand's digital identity; it needs protection from lookalikes.
- DoxxingDoxxing is publishing someone's home address, phone number, workplace or other personal details online to target them.
E
- E-E-A-TE-E-A-T stands for experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness, the core criteria in Google's search quality guidelines.
- Earned mediaEarned media is coverage, interviews and organic sharing gained without payment, because the story is newsworthy.
- EmbargoAn embargo is an agreement that information given to journalists in advance will not be published before a set date and time.
- EntityAn entity is a person, organisation, place or concept that search engines and AI recognise as a single, identifiable thing.
F
- Fact-checkingFact-checking is independent organisations verifying public claims against sources and publishing the result.
- Fair useFair use is the US doctrine that allows limited, unlicensed use of copyrighted work for purposes such as criticism, news, teaching or parody.
- Fake followers and bot accountsFake followers are bought or automated bot accounts; they depress engagement and invite platform penalties and lost credibility.
- Fake reviewA fake review is not based on a genuine customer experience: bought, written by a competitor or produced by networks of accounts.
- Formal legal noticeA formal legal notice puts the other side on notice of a demand or of legal action, often served through a notary or lawyer.
- Freedom of expressionFreedom of expression is the right to hold and share opinions and report news; removal requests must balance it against personality rights.
G
- GDPRThe GDPR is the EU General Data Protection Regulation; it governs personal data processing and grants a right to erasure in Article 17.
- GEO (generative engine optimisation)GEO (generative engine optimisation) is content, technical and authority work so that ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews describe a brand accurately and cite it as a source.
- Google AI OverviewsGoogle AI Overviews are AI answers shown above search results, compiled from several sources; they can be the first text anyone reads about your brand.
- Google AutocompleteGoogle Autocomplete shows suggestions as you type, based on past searches; a suggestion like "scam" next to your name can do real damage.
- Google Knowledge PanelThe Google Knowledge Panel is the information box Google shows next to results when it recognises a person, brand or organisation as an entity.
- Google Search ConsoleGoogle Search Console shows your site's impressions and clicks in Google Search, indexed pages and technical issues, for free.
H
- Holding statementA holding statement is a short first statement in a crisis, made before details are clear, saying you are aware, acting and when you will update.
- Hosting providerA hosting provider stores a website's files on its servers; when the site owner ignores you, removal requests go to the host.
- HreflangHreflang tells search engines about a page's language and country versions so each user sees the right one.
I
- Identity theftIdentity theft is someone using your personal details to open accounts, phone lines, credit or contracts in your name.
- Impersonation accountAn impersonation account uses a person's or brand's name, photos or logo without permission to pose as them.
- IndexNowIndexNow lets a site instantly notify participating search engines of new, updated or deleted pages.
- Influencer marketingInfluencer marketing is brands working with social media creators for paid or gifted promotion.
- Interim injunctionAn interim injunction is a temporary court order preventing irreparable harm before a case is decided; it can stop a publication.
- IP addressAn IP address is a device's network address; in Europe and Turkey it is usually personal data.
K
L
M
- Media pitchA media pitch is a short, personal email to one journalist explaining why a story matters to their readers.
- Media trainingMedia training prepares executives and spokespeople to deliver their messages accurately, briefly and consistently in interviews, live broadcasts and crises.
- Meta VerifiedMeta Verified is a paid subscription giving identity-verified people and businesses on Instagram and Facebook a badge, impersonation protection and direct support.
- MetadataMetadata is information stored inside a photo, video or document, such as creation date, device, author and location.
N
- Negative SEONegative SEO is an attempt by a competitor to lower your rankings with spam links, scraped content or fake reports.
- NewswireA newswire is a paid service that distributes press releases to many outlets, agencies and financial terminals at once.
- NoindexNoindex is a tag added to a web page that tells search engines not to show it in results.
- Non-consensual intimate imagesNon-consensual intimate images include private images shared without consent and AI-generated explicit fakes; sharing them is a crime in most countries.
- Non-disclosure agreement (NDA)A non-disclosure agreement commits parties to keep information they share confidential.
- Notability (Wikipedia)Notability is Wikipedia's requirement that a subject has significant coverage in independent, reliable sources before it can have an article.
- Notarised and timestamped evidenceNotarised or timestamped capture formally proves that online content was live on a given date.
O
- Online reputation managementOnline reputation management is monitoring how a person or brand appears on Google, social media and in AI answers, removing harmful content and making accurate information visible.
- OSINTOSINT (open-source intelligence) is collecting and analysing information from public sources such as the web, social media and public records.
P
- Paid editing disclosurePaid editing disclosure is Wikipedia's requirement that people paid to edit disclose their employer and client.
- PasskeyA passkey replaces the password with your device's fingerprint, face or PIN and does not work on phishing pages.
- Password managerA password manager creates and stores strong, unique passwords for every account, ending password reuse.
- Penetration testA penetration test is an authorised, scoped and controlled attack simulation that finds security weaknesses in a system.
- Personal dataPersonal data is any information relating to an identified or identifiable person: name, photo, phone, address, IP address and more.
- Personality rightsPersonality rights protect a person's honour, name, image, voice and private life.
- PhishingPhishing uses fake emails, messages or login pages to steal passwords and verification codes.
- Press releaseA press release is an organisation's official, complete announcement of a newsworthy development for journalists, with headline, key facts, quote and contact details.
- Public interest (in journalism)Public interest is whether a story concerns matters society needs to know about; it is the decisive test in most removal requests.
R
- RansomwareRansomware encrypts company files and demands payment to unlock them and not leak them.
- Reverse image searchReverse image search finds copies and the first source of an image by uploading it.
- Rich resultsRich results show extra information such as ratings, FAQs, breadcrumbs or images in search, thanks to structured data.
- Right of replyThe right of reply lets a person affected by inaccurate or damaging coverage have their response published in the same outlet.
- Right to be forgottenThe right to be forgotten lets people ask search engines to delist outdated or irrelevant personal information that no longer serves the public interest.
- robots.txtrobots.txt is a plain text file at a site's root that tells crawlers which pages they may crawl.
S
- Sentiment analysisSentiment analysis classifies news, reviews and posts about a brand as positive, negative or neutral, showing how reputation changes over time.
- SEOSEO (search engine optimisation) is technical, content and link work that helps a site rank for relevant searches on Google and Bing.
- SERPA SERP is the page of results for a search, with organic results, ads, AI overviews, news, images and Knowledge Panels.
- SIM swapIn a SIM swap, a fraudster gets your phone number moved to their own SIM card and receives your SMS verification codes.
- SitemapA sitemap is an XML file listing the pages a site wants indexed.
- Smear campaignA smear campaign is a planned effort to damage a person or brand using many accounts, sites and pieces of content.
- Social engineeringSocial engineering exploits people's trust, urgency or fear rather than technical flaws to obtain passwords, money or access.
- Social listeningSocial listening monitors and analyses social media conversations about your brand, sector and competitors.
- Streisand effectThe Streisand effect is when an attempt to hide or remove information draws far more attention to it.
- Structured dataStructured data is schema.org code that labels page information such as organisation, service, article and FAQ so search engines and AI can understand it.
T
- Trade secretA trade secret is confidential information such as customer lists, prices, formulas or source code that gives a business an advantage.
- Trademark registrationTrademark registration records a brand name and logo with an official office and is the strongest basis for impersonation, counterfeit and ad complaints.
- Turkey's Internet Law No. 5651Law No. 5651 regulates online publications in Turkey: the duties of content, hosting, access and social network providers and procedures for blocking access to content.
- Two-factor authenticationTwo-factor authentication asks for an app code, passkey or security key in addition to the password; it is the most effective defence against account takeover.
- TyposquattingTyposquatting is registering domains that closely resemble a brand's domain, through typos, other extensions or extra words, for phishing or fraud.
V
- Verification badgeA verification badge, the blue tick, shows that an account really belongs to that person or brand; most platforms now also sell it by subscription.
- Voice cloningVoice cloning uses AI to imitate a person's voice from a short recording; it powers fake calls and voice message scams.
- VPNA VPN encrypts your traffic and routes it through another server; it hides the connection but not, on its own, your identity.
- Vulnerability scanA vulnerability scan is a regular automated check listing known security weaknesses in servers, sites and applications.
W
- WatermarkA watermark is a visible or invisible ownership mark on images and video that helps find copies and prove ownership.
- Web archiveWeb archives keep copies of web pages on different dates; the best known is the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine.
- WHOISWHOIS shows a domain's registrar, registration and expiry dates and, where permitted, its owner.
- WikidataWikidata is Wikipedia's sister project, an open knowledge base holding machine-readable facts about people, organisations and concepts.