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Mumsnet reveals name of user in transgender row | |
(about 8 hours later) | |
Mumsnet has revealed the identity of a user who allegedly abused a transgender lawyer on its forum. | |
It comes after Stephanie Hayden won a High Court order stating the website must provide the personal details of a user named 'ALittleHelp18'. | |
Ms Hayden called comments made on the site defamatory and said obtaining the user's details would allow legal action to be taken. | |
Mumsnet said it has "sent Ms Hayden the user's personal details". | |
The court order stated Mumsnet had until 16:00 GMT on Thursday to "provide the claimant the identification details of the user of the Mumsnet website known as "ALittleHelp18" ". | |
The details had to include the user's full legal name, date of birth, address and email. | |
Mumsnet's founder, Justine Roberts, said: 'We told the author of the complained-about post that we would be open to contesting the court order if they wanted us to, but we did not hear back from them within the necessary time frame. | |
"We sent to Ms Hayden the personal details supplied privately to us by the user - which were not the same as the details shared publicly by the user in a subsequent post on Mumsnet - before the court order's deadline." | |
Ms Hayden said she first contacted Mumsnet in November about the comments which she said made claims of criminality. | |
The 45-year-old, who lives in London but is originally from Liverpool, issued a notice of complaint but said Mumsnet initially refused to take the remarks down. | The 45-year-old, who lives in London but is originally from Liverpool, issued a notice of complaint but said Mumsnet initially refused to take the remarks down. |
Under the Defamation Act, a user who wants a post to remain visible on a user-generated content site following a complaint must provide the website operator with a set of personal details. | Under the Defamation Act, a user who wants a post to remain visible on a user-generated content site following a complaint must provide the website operator with a set of personal details. |
The law requires the operator to make a judgement about whether those details are "obviously false". | The law requires the operator to make a judgement about whether those details are "obviously false". |
'Abuse and trolling' | |
Ms Roberts said those details were provided and a judgement taken that they were genuine. | |
However, Ms Hayden said if it materialised that the user's information was fake, she would look at taking defamation action against Mumsnet. | However, Ms Hayden said if it materialised that the user's information was fake, she would look at taking defamation action against Mumsnet. |
She said: "It is toxic to allow such abuse and trolling to happen. | She said: "It is toxic to allow such abuse and trolling to happen. |
"I've had months of this abuse remaining online and watching how it has flourished. | "I've had months of this abuse remaining online and watching how it has flourished. |
"Mumsnet should not allow these allegations to be thrown about like bits of candy and should look at better moderation." | "Mumsnet should not allow these allegations to be thrown about like bits of candy and should look at better moderation." |
In 2018 Ms Hayden reported Father Ted creator Graham Linehan to West Yorkshire Police for transphobic harassment. | |
He was given a verbal warning following an online row between the two where Mr Linehan referred to her as a "he" and tweeted the names she used before transitioning. |
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