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Bomb threats on Twitter made against female journalists | |
(35 minutes later) | |
Police are investigating bomb threats made on social networking site Twitter against several female journalists. | Police are investigating bomb threats made on social networking site Twitter against several female journalists. |
Guardian columnist Hadley Freeman, Independent columnist Grace Dent and Time magazine's Catherine Mayer all said they had been threatened. | Guardian columnist Hadley Freeman, Independent columnist Grace Dent and Time magazine's Catherine Mayer all said they had been threatened. |
It follows rape threats made on Twitter against MP Stella Creasy and feminist campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez. | It follows rape threats made on Twitter against MP Stella Creasy and feminist campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez. |
Meanwhile, a petition calling on Twitter to do more to prevent online abuse has topped 100,000 signatures. | Meanwhile, a petition calling on Twitter to do more to prevent online abuse has topped 100,000 signatures. |
Anonymous account holders on the social networking site tweeted that bombs had been placed outside the journalists' homes, primed to explode at 22:47 BST. | |
Doctoral student Kate Maltby also said she had received an identical threat to the three journalists. "Looks like a campaign," she wrote. | |
'Moderators' | 'Moderators' |
Sara Lang, a social media manager for US-based campaign group AARP, said she too had received a bomb threat, but police in Washington DC had since confirmed that her house was safe. | |
Freeman, who had earlier published a column entitled "how to use the internet without being a total loser", reported the threats to the Metropolitan police. | Freeman, who had earlier published a column entitled "how to use the internet without being a total loser", reported the threats to the Metropolitan police. |
The anonymous author of the tweet had "failed to understand my column", she wrote. | The anonymous author of the tweet had "failed to understand my column", she wrote. |
An investigation into the threat, which constitutes an arrestable offence, was then launched, a Met spokesman confirmed. | An investigation into the threat, which constitutes an arrestable offence, was then launched, a Met spokesman confirmed. |
The anonymous accounts have since been suspended, but screen grabs of the tweets have been circulated on the social media site. | The anonymous accounts have since been suspended, but screen grabs of the tweets have been circulated on the social media site. |
Mayer described the threat as "not very credible-sounding". | Mayer described the threat as "not very credible-sounding". |
But the police advised Freeman not to stay at home overnight, the Guardian reported. | But the police advised Freeman not to stay at home overnight, the Guardian reported. |
The incidents follow separate rape threats on Twitter against Labour MP Stella Creasy and Caroline Criado-Perez, who successfully campaigned to have author Jane Austen depicted on the new £10 note. | The incidents follow separate rape threats on Twitter against Labour MP Stella Creasy and Caroline Criado-Perez, who successfully campaigned to have author Jane Austen depicted on the new £10 note. |
Freeman said: "Threatening to bomb and rape people is illegal. We need to apply the law in the same way online as we do in the real world. | Freeman said: "Threatening to bomb and rape people is illegal. We need to apply the law in the same way online as we do in the real world. |
"There should be a button to report abuse more easily. Twitter makes millions - they can afford some moderators." | "There should be a button to report abuse more easily. Twitter makes millions - they can afford some moderators." |