When the reviews became something I had to report to the police

This account was submitted by a healthcare provider and de-identified before publication. Details that could identify a patient or practice have been removed, and it is shared with the provider’s consent.

What was posted

One individual left a series of increasingly hostile reviews and follow up comments that moved from a care complaint into something personal and, eventually, frightening, including remarks that read as threats.

What actually happened

It stopped being about their eyes and became about me as a person, and the pattern of it, several posts over a few weeks, made it feel targeted. I could not respond in any way without risking disclosure of who they likely were, so the platform's own reply box was closed to me by law.

Impact

My sleep suffered noticeably, and I started varying my routine out of an abundance of caution, which is a grim thing to have to do because of a review.

Steps taken

I documented every post with screenshots and timestamps, then consulted both an attorney and, given the threatening tone, local law enforcement. The attorney explained that the reviews, however cruel, largely sat within the platform's definition of permissible opinion, and the police could do little without a specific, credible threat.

Reported impact on this provider

Emotional DistressLegal ConsultationLost Sleep

Three others reported Emotional Distress

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