Unpublish unlawful content.
Lawfully.

South Africa's specialist legal service for the removal of online defamation, harassment, and unlawful publication — across public review platforms and private messaging. Fixed fees. Defined turnarounds.

Two product lines

Reviews

Public-platform takedowns.

When the defamatory content is published on a review platform — Hellopeter, Google Maps, Trustpilot, Facebook — there is a takedown channel to write to. We use it. We combine the platform's content guidelines, ECTA section 77, and POPIA section 11(3) into a single coordinated letter, and we follow up. If the platform does not act, we escalate to court on the Heiberg precedent.

Hellopeter · Google Maps · Google Search · Trustpilot · Facebook · TripAdvisor · Glassdoor

View Reviews tiers (T1–T4)

Messaging

Private and group-chat publishers.

When the defamatory content lives inside WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, or a group chat, there is no platform takedown department. We act on the publisher directly: cease, retract in the same channel, and where necessary, court orders. End-to-end encryption is not a shield against defamation liability.

WhatsApp · Telegram · Signal · Discord · Facebook Messenger · Instagram DM · group chats

View Messaging tiers (M1–M3)

The remedies

Seven defined remedies. Fixed fees. Defined turnarounds.

The table is the conversion centrepiece: clear scope, clear turnaround, clear fee. The visitor can self-diagnose without being forced into an open-ended consultation.

TierServiceScopeTurnaroundFee
T1Platform TakedownSingle platform takedown letter combining content-policy report, ECTA section 77 notification, and POPIA section 11(3) objection. Two follow-up rounds.48 hoursR 3,950
T2Reviewer + PlatformEverything in T1, plus a formal letter of demand to the identified reviewer, drafted to be admissible in any subsequent court application.5 daysR 7,950
T3Multi-Platform Reputation DefenceCoordinated takedowns across up to three platforms, plus a Google Legal Removals submission package and strategic memorandum on next-step options.7–10 daysR 14,950
T4Urgent High Court InterdictFounding affidavit, notice of motion, filing, service, and appearance. Counsel briefed where complexity warrants. On the precedent of Heiberg Estates v Maritz.14–21 daysR 65,000
M1Cease & Desist with Forced RetractionLetter of demand to the identified publisher requiring cessation, deletion, and retraction in the same group or channel. Forensic-evidence preservation guidance included.5 daysR 5,950
M2Anonymous Publisher DiscoverySubpoena duces tecum or common-law disclosure application to identify anonymous Telegram, WhatsApp, or Discord publishers. Outcome memorandum on next steps.21 daysR 12,500
M3Protection Order or High Court InterdictMagistrate's Court application under the Protection from Harassment Act, or High Court urgent interdict on the Heiberg precedent. Forum chosen on the facts.14–21 daysR 32,500 / R 65,000

All fees exclude VAT and are payable in advance into the firm's trust account. T1, T2, T3, M1, M2 fees are inclusive of routine disbursements; T4 and M3 fees exclude counsel's fees, sheriff's fees, court filing fees, and expert fees, charged at cost on disclosed pro-forma estimates. Engagement is on a written engagement letter, signed before any chargeable work commences.

How it works

A defined process before chargeable work begins.

01

Submit your matter

Use the secure intake form. Tell us where the content was published, what was said, and what evidence you have. Five minutes. No charge. The form routes directly to a senior attorney for triage.

02

Triage call within 4 working hours

A senior attorney will call you with the recommended service tier, the fixed fee, the realistic outcome to expect, and a proposed engagement letter. The call is free; the engagement letter binds nothing until you sign and pay.

03

Work commences on signature

On signature of the engagement letter and reflection of the trust deposit, work commences within the SLA committed to that tier. You receive a copy of every outgoing communication. A written status report is provided at conclusion.

The Heiberg precedent — 17 February 2026

South African authority for urgent review removal.

In Heiberg Estates CC v Maritz and Another (Reasons) (004005/2026) [2026] ZAGPPHC 149, the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division (Pretoria), granted a final urgent interdict requiring the removal of a defamatory online consumer review within 24 hours, with costs against the respondent.

“the harm is continuous and ongoing for so long as the untrue defamatory statements are allowed to stay on the … website,”

The judgment is the strongest South African authority to date for the urgent removal of online consumer reviews. Tier T4 of our service is built on this precedent.

Evidence preservation guide

Before you contact us, preserve your evidence.

Three things ruin most messaging-defamation matters before they start: the publisher deletes the messages before you preserve them; you screenshot only part of the conversation; or you forward the messages, which strips the metadata. Our 4-page guide walks you through the WhatsApp Export Chat function, voice-note preservation, and the five rules that apply on every platform.

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Frequently asked questions

The questions clients ask before instructing us.

Will paying you guarantee removal?

No, and any service that promises guaranteed removal is misleading you. Our fees are for a defined scope of work, dispatched within a defined turnaround, with a defined escalation path if the initial action does not produce removal. We will tell you up front what the realistic outcome looks like. We have not lost a Heiberg-type interdict yet, but past results never guarantee future ones — that is true in law generally, and we will not pretend otherwise.

What if the reviewer or publisher is overseas?

Cross-border matters are common — we handle them routinely. EU residents are reached through the EU Digital Services Act and through Google Ireland Limited as the relevant data controller. UK residents through the Defamation Act 2013. US residents through Section 230-aware framing. We tell you up front whether enforcement is realistic.

Why fixed fees?

Because clients deserve to know what they will pay before they pay it. The work in each tier is well-defined enough that we can price it. If a matter requires more, we tell you what the further work would cost and you decide whether to proceed. No open mandates. No surprises.

Can you act on WhatsApp matters even though WhatsApp is encrypted?

Yes. The encryption protects the message in transit; it does not protect the publisher from defamation liability. The remedy in a WhatsApp defamation matter is not against the platform — it is against the publisher who sent the message. We act against the publisher.

What if my matter is an emergency?

Call 087 001 0733 directly. The intake form has an emergency-bypass route, but the phone is faster. Genuinely urgent matters — intimate images, sextortion, ongoing threats — are escalated immediately and triaged within the hour, not the four-hour standard SLA.

Can a competitor's negative reviews actually be removed?

If they are defamatory in law, yes. If they are honest opinions about a real experience, no — and a court would refuse to order their removal. The triage call is partly an honest assessment of which side of that line your matter sits on. We will not pursue matters that are not winnable; doing so wastes your money and is professionally improper.

How does the trust account work?

You pay the fixed fee into the firm's attorneys' trust account before any chargeable work commences. The trust account is regulated and audited by the Legal Practice Council and the Legal Practitioners' Fidelity Fund. Funds are released from trust to the firm only as work is performed. Any unused balance is refunded to you.

What happens if I sign up for T1 and we then need T4?

At any point during the matter, if escalation is appropriate, we provide you with a written quote for the next-tier work. You decide whether to proceed. Tier fees are not stacked — the T1 work is part of the matter file, and the further fee covers only the additional work. M2 fees are credited against M3 fees if escalation occurs.

Submit your matter.

A senior attorney will respond within four working hours with a recommended tier, a fixed fee, and an honest assessment of the realistic outcome. No charge for triage. No obligation to engage.

Five-minute intake formReply within four working hoursConfidentiality binding from first contact