Social media influencer brings court action to identify people she claims are trolling and bullying her online
A social media influencer with tens of thousands of followers claims she is being "trolled, defamed and stalked" on platforms including Facebook and Instagram by anonymous posters.
Lisa McGowan, who runs the 'Lisa's Lust List' website claims that she and her business are the subject of the online harassment by unknown parties.
She has launched a High Court action aimed at helping her to identify the person or persons behind the posts.
The businesswoman says her site specialises in promoting various products including fashion items, beauty, health, travel and homeware items mainly produced by Irish-based small to medium enterprises, and has 300,000 followers.
She has also acted as MC at a number of public meetings, live shows and charitable events.
Ms McGowan, from Tullamore in Co Offaly, started her online promotional work after she won the best dressed lady competition at the Galway Races in 2016.
In recent weeks she claims that she, and members of her family, have been subjected of online bullying, trolling and harassment by a number of anonymous posters on various social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram.
She also claims the posts contain untrue, personal and highly defamatory comments about her that are "extremely damaging" to her and her business.
She also said that some of the posts falsely accuse her of being involved in criminal and fraudulent behaviour.
Represented by Matthew Jolley BL, Ms McGowan and her company Lisa's Lust List Limited are seeking to find out the names of those persons behind the posts in order to stop the alleged abuse and harassment of her and her family.
Since June counsel said she has been the subject of commentary from anonymous posters that ranges from being "trolled, bullied, harassed and defamed" to what counsel said were "sinister posts about her movements".
Counsel said that posters seem to know when Ms McGowan is physically present on the premises of her family's insurance brokerage business, where she continues to work part-time.
This monitoring of her movements amounts to stalking Ms McGowan, it is claimed.
In addition, untraceable and unknown parties have made phone calls to her family business asking to speak to her or her father.
Ms McGowan has reported this activity to the Gardaí, counsel said, adding that she has hired a Private Investigator and an IT expert as part of her bid to find out who is behind the posts.
In order to sue for defamation, she needs to identify who the anonymous posters are.
To do that Ms McGowan seeks a court order, known as a 'Norwich Pharmacal' requiring Facebook Ireland Ltd to provide her with details the social media company has in relation to the accounts making the controversial posts about her.
The details include the account users' identities, names, postal addresses, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, IP address and ISP.
The user names of the accounts in question are 'contigo' and 'sickofthem' on Facebook and Instagram platforms, and all the contributors of the Instagram page 'mas_on_amission'.
Ms McGowan's application came before Mr Justice Anthony Barr, on an ex-parte basis, during Thursday's vacation sitting of the High Court.
The Judge, who noted the contents of the posts, said he was satisfied to grant the applicants permission to serve short notice of the proceedings on Facebook.
The judge made the matter returnable to a date next week.