Technology Entrepreneur Michael Jansen Secures UK High Court Default Judgment After Four-Year Online Defamation Campaign

Key Takeaways

• On September 30, 2026, the High Court of England and Wales entered a default judgment against Shane Liddell in proceedings brought by technology entrepreneur Michael Jansen involving defamation, harassment, misuse of private information, breach of confidence, and unlawful processing of personal data.
• The Court will determine damages and other remedies, including permanent injunctive relief, in a disposal hearing in Q1 2027.
• After four years of addressing online allegations, Jansen is calling for platforms to review documented harm promptly and give people a way to seek help before turning to litigation.

CHICAGO, Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- After four years of addressing false online allegations and harassment, Chicago-based technology entrepreneur Michael Jansen announced that the High Court of England and Wales entered a default judgment against Shane Liddell on September 30, 2026, in Claim No. KB-2026-002990.

The judgment followed four years of false online allegations and harassment across platforms including LinkedIn and X. Jansen's efforts involved extensive cross-border investigative and legal coordination in the United States and the United Kingdom.

"I had the resources to hire lawyers in two countries and get help locating someone overseas. Many people facing online harassment don't have those options," said Michael Jansen, a technology entrepreneur and claimant in the proceedings. "When someone can document harm, they should have a clear way to get a platform to review it promptly, with safeguards for lawful criticism and free expression. The system is broken and needs to be fixed."

Q&A for Context

What does Michael Jansen's case show about the cost of addressing online harm?

As the case progressed, the work expanded to coordinating lawyers, process servers, trace agents, private investigators, police investigations, and reputation-repair specialists across two countries.

Investigative work in Florida, County Durham, and Northumbria helped locate and serve Liddell in the United Kingdom. Jansen also acknowledged the involvement of police in three jurisdictions—Winnetka, Durham and Northumbria—and assistance from residents of County Durham. That international effort informs his advocacy for people who lack the time, money or professional support to pursue a similar case.

How would Jansen's proposal differ from the process he went through?

Jansen sought help from the internet platforms before obtaining the judgment. He describes spending considerable time submitting reports and trying to get the underlying evidence reviewed. Some platforms subsequently removed material, but his experience showed how much work could fall on the person reporting harm while the unlawful material remained accessible.

Jansen is calling for clearer procedures to submit evidence, prompt review of documented reports and faster enforcement when content violates platform rules. He wants internet users everywhere to have a practical route to review before a court judgment, with safeguards for lawful criticism and a way to challenge removal decisions.

What happens next in the case and in Jansen's advocacy?

The September 30 default judgment established civil liability. Damages and other remedies, including permanent injunctive relief, remain for the Court to determine at a disposal hearing in early 2027.

Separately, Jansen plans to advocate for clearer reporting and review procedures, stronger enforcement of platform community standards, and worldwide reform of internet platform policies and intermediary liability frameworks, particularly Section 230 of the US Communications Decency Act. Enacted in 1996, Section 230 predates today's social media environment; Jansen argues that it needs a comprehensive rewrite to reflect the scale and reach of modern online platforms. He focuses on what platforms can do when they receive credible evidence and how people can get a meaningful response without years of litigation, while preserving safeguards for lawful criticism and free expression.

About Michael Jansen

Michael Jansen is an award-winning American technology entrepreneur and former architect educated at Yale and Cambridge. A Fulbright Scholar, World Cities Summit Young Leader, and former adviser to the World Economic Forum, he has founded and led multiple international technology ventures and raised approximately $50 million over his career from leading investors, including Sequoia Capital.

Court Reference

High Court of Justice of England and Wales, King's Bench Division, Media and Communications List. Claim No. KB-2026-002990. Sealed default judgment entered September 30, 2026.

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SOURCE Michael Jansen