Eliminalia Explained

Eliminalia
Type:Private Company
Industry:Online reputation
Founded:2011
Founder:Diego Sánchez, known as Dídac Sánchez
Hq Location City:Kyiv, Ukraine
Barcelona, Spain
Num Employees:85
Num Employees Year:2020
Website:eliminalia.com/en/

Eliminalia, rebranded as 'Idata Protection' in January 2023 is a Spanish company which has specialized in reputation management.[1] It was founded in 2011 by Diego Sánchez, known as Dídac Sánchez.[2] [3] The technical offices are in Kyiv, Ukraine.[4] [5] Eliminalia is the property of Maidan Holdings, a Miami-based holding company.[6]

In 2015, Eliminalia offered its services without charge to anyone affected by the Ashley Madison data breach.[7]

In 2020, Eliminalia received several vanity awards: Technology Innovator Awards 2020[8] by AI Global Media and Cyber Security Company of the Year[9] by Corporate LiveWire.

In 2021,, an NGO dedicated to the defense of digital rights, accused Eliminalia of creating a network of fake websites with back-dated articles[10] and then spamming them with apparently legal DMCA takedown notices and GDPR complaints.[11] These were intended to take down articles referring to corruption in Angola regarding Isabel dos Santos and Vincent Miclet.

Internal documents leak

In 2023, after a news leak of approximately 50,000 internal documents to French nonprofit Forbidden Stories, the company was accused of using 'blackhat tactics' to help clients in 50 countries, including torturers, convicted criminals, corrupt politicians, scammers and spyware companies to erase their past from the internet. Eliminalia allegedly uses an array of underhanded tactics to stifle criticism of its clients, from intimidating journalists to churning out fake news on websites such as Taiwan Times, Mayday Washington, CNN News Today, and London Uncensored - all of which are connected to Maidan Holdings (Eliminalia's parent company).

Using falsified copyright infringement notices, the company manipulates "right to be forgotten" laws, designed to protect people from malicious material online, by sending emails that appear to be from the European Commission to journalists and publishers of the unwanted articles. Two clients of Eliminalia are convicted drug traffickers; other clients included Venezuela officials,[12] Malchas Tetruashvili (convicted of money laundering for Georgian mafia boss Tariel Oniani in 2019),[13] José Mestré (convicted of cocaine trafficking in 2010),[14] former bank officials at Banca Privada d'Andorra, as well as 'scammers, spyware companies, torturers, convicted criminals, corrupt politicians and others in the global underworld'. One has been charged with laundering money for a prostitution ring. Another sold U.S. equipment to the Syrian government. Three more are indicted for helping carry out a cryptocurrency scam that stole billions of dollars from investors.[15] [16] [17]

As of January 2023, it appears that Eliminalia has rebranded as 'Idata Protection'.

Notes and References

  1. News: Online data deletion firm says post-Brexit UK ‘should retain right to erasure’ . 29 December 2020 . The National . en . 11 April 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210411181718/https://www.thenational.scot/news/18077285.post-brexit-uk-should-retain-right-forgotten-citizens/ . live .
  2. News: Y el niño del centro de menores montó un imperio . . 6 September 2015 . es . 29 December 2020 . 11 April 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210411184914/https://www.elmundo.es/cronica/2015/09/06/55e9e02146163fe81b8b4595.html . live . And the child from the youth center built an empire..
  3. News: Iliff . Laurence . Google Wages Free-Speech Fight in Mexico . 29 December 2020 . Wall Street Journal . 27 May 2015 . 8 November 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201108092906/https://www.wsj.com/articles/google-wages-free-speech-fight-in-mexico-1432723483 . live .
  4. News: Berberi . Leonard . Il ragazzo dal passato difficile che ti cambia la "web reputation". The boy with a difficult past who changes your "web reputation." . 29 December 2020 . Corriere della Sera . 7 November 2017 . it . 9 November 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201109032308/https://www.corriere.it/cronache/17_luglio_12/ragazzo-passato-difficile-web-reputation-5104ec40-6674-11e7-99cd-8ba21567bad4.shtml . live .
  5. News: Digital . Confidencial . Entidades Bancarias usan Google para conocer pasado de clientes. Banks use Google to learn about clients' pasts . 29 December 2020 . Confidencial Digital . 23 November 2020 . es . 11 April 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210411181731/https://www.elconfidencialdigital.com/articulo/comunicados/entidades-bancarias-usan-google-conocer-pasado-clientes/20201123132134188464.html . live .
  6. Web site: The Gravediggers: How Eliminalia, a Spanish reputation management firm, buries the truth . 2023-02-17 . forbiddenstories.org . en-US . 2023-02-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230217121126/https://forbiddenstories.org/story-killers/the-gravediggers-eliminalia/ . live .
  7. Web site: Eliminalia recibe 523 solicitudes de borrado de datos en 72 horas por el escándalo Ashley Madison. Eliminalia receives 523 data deletion requests within 72 hours due to the Ashley Madison scandal. . La Vanguardia . es . 21 August 2015 . 24 April 2021 . 24 April 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210424232005/https://www.lavanguardia.com/local/barcelona/20150821/54434933778/eliminalia-recibe-523-solicitudes-de-borrado-de-datos-en-72-horas-por-el-escandalo-ashley-madison.html . live .
  8. Web site: Technology Innovator Awards 2020 . www.cv-magazine.com .
  9. Web site: Corporate Awards . Corporate LiveWire . 2020-12-29 . 2021-04-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210422145006/https://corporatelivewire.com/awards.html?award=140 . live .
  10. Web site: Dark Ops Uncovered Episode I . Qurium . 23 April 2021 . 4 February 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220204150924/https://www.qurium.org/forensics/dark-ops-undercovered-episode-i-eliminalia/ . live .
  11. Web site: Dark Ops Uncovered Episode II . Qurium . 23 April 2021 . 29 October 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211029173835/https://www.qurium.org/forensics/dark-ops-undercovered-episode-ii-eliminalia-analysis-of-fake-dmca-complaints/ . live .
  12. Web site: Mexican ex-governors, drug traffickers and Venezuela officials hired Spanish disinformation firm to whitewash their online image. Joaquín Gil, José María. Irujo. February 17, 2023. EL PAÍS English Edition. 2023-03-01. 2023-02-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20230227193100/https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-02-17/mexican-ex-governors-drug-traffickers-and-venezuela-officials-hired-spanish-disinformation-firm-to-whitewash-their-online-image.html. live.
  13. Web site: Sur . Europa . 2020-04-15 . La mafia georgiana empleó una empresa de Gibraltar para operaciones de blanqueo. The Georgian mafia used a company from Gibraltar for money laundering operations . 2023-02-17 . Europa Sur . es-ES . 2023-02-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230217133212/https://www.europasur.es/gibraltar/mafia-georgiana-blanqueo-empresa-Gibraltar-audiencia-nacional_0_1455454946.html . live .
  14. News: 2014-07-17 . Tycoon turned drug lord sells €30m mansion . en-US . The Local Spain . 2023-02-17 . 2023-02-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230217133211/https://www.thelocal.es/20140717/business-star-turned-drug-lord-sells-30m-mansion/ . live .
  15. Web site: Eliminalia: A Reputation Laundromat for Criminals. OCCRP and. IRPI. OCCRP. 2023-03-01. 2023-02-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20230228154317/https://www.occrp.org/en/storykillers/eliminalia-a-reputation-laundromat-for-criminals. live.
  16. Web site: The Spanish firm that uses dubious methods to ‘erase your past’ from the internet. David. Pegg. February 17, 2023. The Guardian. March 1, 2023. February 28, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230228194227/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/17/spanish-firm-erase-past-internet-eliminalia-web. live.
  17. Web site: Boburg . Shawn . Leaked files reveal reputation-management firm’s deceptive tactics . 2023-03-01 . Washington Post . en . 2023-02-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230227042405/https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/interactive/2023/eliminalia-fake-news-misinformation/ . live .

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