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ARTICLE · 13 NOVEMBER 2026

A Warning To Anonymous Online Wrongdoers: MKR v Cloudflare Ltd And Others

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The recent King’s Bench decision in MKR v Cloudflare Ltd and others [2026] illustrates how the court can offer a remedy to those wishing to ‘uncloak’ an anonymous online user, for the purpose of vindicating a victim of untrue, harmful online content.

United KingdomLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
Yazmin Griffiths
Yazmin Griffiths

The recent King’s Bench decision in MKR v Cloudflare Ltd and others [2026] illustrates how the court can offer a remedy to those wishing to ‘uncloak’ an anonymous online user, for the purpose of vindicating a victim of untrue, harmful online content.

The applicant in the case applied for Norwich Pharmacal relief, which allows the applicant to obtain disclosure from a third party who has become involved in some form of wrongdoing, even if that was innocently done, so that the applicant can identify the wrongdoer and pursue them via legal proceedings where they would otherwise have remained anonymous.

In a world of ever-changing technological advancements, including social media and AI, this relief can be particularly strategic when applied in defamation, harassment or intellectual property infringement matters.

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