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| Twitter under fire after bank note campaigner is target of rape threats | Twitter under fire after bank note campaigner is target of rape threats |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Twitter is facing a barrage of criticism after a journalist and feminist blogger who campaigned for Jane Austen to become the new face of the £10 note was subjected to a series of rape threats. | Twitter is facing a barrage of criticism after a journalist and feminist blogger who campaigned for Jane Austen to become the new face of the £10 note was subjected to a series of rape threats. |
| Caroline Criado-Perez, a freelance journalist who co-founded thewomensroom.org.uk and the Week Woman blog, and fellow campaigners were delighted last week when the Bank of England confirmed that the Pride and Prejudice author would replace Charles Darwin on the notes, probably in 2017. | Caroline Criado-Perez, a freelance journalist who co-founded thewomensroom.org.uk and the Week Woman blog, and fellow campaigners were delighted last week when the Bank of England confirmed that the Pride and Prejudice author would replace Charles Darwin on the notes, probably in 2017. |
| But Criado-Perez quickly found herself subjected to a sustained campaign of abuse on Twitter, of the type that MPs say should become a criminal matter. | But Criado-Perez quickly found herself subjected to a sustained campaign of abuse on Twitter, of the type that MPs say should become a criminal matter. |
| Writing in the Observer, Labour MP Stella Creasy condemned the threats and called for action from both Twitter and its users to push back against online aggression towards women. | |
| "This is about more than making Twitter somewhere fun for everyone to enjoy," she said. "If we want a world where everyone can live hassle-free, then everyday expressions of inequalities need to be confronted – not least as they help ease the big inequalities." | "This is about more than making Twitter somewhere fun for everyone to enjoy," she said. "If we want a world where everyone can live hassle-free, then everyday expressions of inequalities need to be confronted – not least as they help ease the big inequalities." |
| Fellow Labour MP Steve Rotheram tweeted that "hopefully those responsible will be receiving a knock on the door from their local constabulary". | Fellow Labour MP Steve Rotheram tweeted that "hopefully those responsible will be receiving a knock on the door from their local constabulary". |
| By Saturday afternoon more than 9,000 people had signed an online petitioncalling on Twitter to add an abuse button for those threatened with sexual violence and to make the site responsible for any criminal threats posted on it. | |
| The petition claims: "During a 12-hour period, Caroline Criado-Perez was targeted repeatedly with rape threats. Caroline attempted to stir a response from Mark S Luckie, manager of journalism and news on Twitter. His response was to lock down his account." | |
| Many who have signed the petition have questioned why the online community appears to be subject to different laws from the real one. "This is criminal behaviour in the real world; why should people get away with it on Twitter?" one supporter wrote. | |
| Another added: "Rape threats are a criminal offence in real life. They should not be allowed in cyberspace." | |
| A number of high-profile names have lent their support. The writer Caitlin Moran tweeted: "For those who say 'Why complain – just block?' – on a big troll day, it can be 50 violent/rape messages an hour. Exhausting and upsetting." | A number of high-profile names have lent their support. The writer Caitlin Moran tweeted: "For those who say 'Why complain – just block?' – on a big troll day, it can be 50 violent/rape messages an hour. Exhausting and upsetting." |
| The comedian Dara Ó Briain warned that Twitter faced an exodus of users if such messages continued to be disseminated. He tweeted: "If the ladies leave twitter because of all the dumb, rapey 14-year-old boys, then I'm outta here people. Like most grownup men too, I'd say." | |
| Criado-Perez said she had been overwhelmed by the support she had received. "Lots of people have stepped up," she said. "Lots of people, both men and women, are saying how inspired they feel by my stance and my decision not to be silenced on this." | Criado-Perez said she had been overwhelmed by the support she had received. "Lots of people have stepped up," she said. "Lots of people, both men and women, are saying how inspired they feel by my stance and my decision not to be silenced on this." |
| She said it was important to confront those who used rape threats. "We really need to get rid of the idea that you don't feed the trolls," she said. "Someone issuing rape threats wants women to shut up, to get off Twitter and not appear on the news. We can't let them win." | |
| Significantly, it appears that Criado-Perez was the victim of a sustained and co-ordinated attack. Initially she was the subject of several offensive tweets, but these died away after about a day. She was then subjected to hundreds of tweets, which suggests that she was targeted by a group of Twitter users. | |
| Criado-Perez believes the affair has highlighted Twitter's inability to respond to such attacks. | Criado-Perez believes the affair has highlighted Twitter's inability to respond to such attacks. |
| "If you get an abusive message, fair enough, you can fill in an online form and make a complaint," she said. "But if you're subject to hundreds of tweets it's just not practical. It shows that Twitter does not understand the nature of abuse online." | |
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