An investigation uncovered a now-deleted subreddit where users were sharing, trading, and selling explicit images and private details of women without consent
Women are facing threats and blackmail from a mob of anonymous strangers after their personal details, intimate photos and videos … Tweets: @joetidy , @toluogunlesi , @monikaplaha , @_jessicadavies , @ma_franks , @freda_wa11ace , @theasianfmnst , @womenreadwomen , and @annolivarius Tweets: Joe Tidy / @joetidy : Brilliant reporting from @BBCPanorama here which got a horrible subreddit sharing non consensual pics of women closed down. The comment from the subreddit moderator is also a worrying sign of what is to come if social media truly decentralises. https://www.bbc.com/... https://twitter.com/... Tolu Ogunlesi / @toluogunlesi : “Our undercover reporter finally came face-to-face with the man who had created the forum where the privacy of so many women had been violated... He's university-educated and works as a manager at a large company. It wasn't who I expected to find at all.” https://www.bbc.com/... Monika Plaha / @monikaplaha : We investigate a marketplace on Reddit where hundreds of anonymous users were sharing, trading & selling explicit images of women - sometimes in huge folders & without consent. Women are targeted with sexual comments, rape threats, blackmail... https://www.bbc.com/... Jess Davies / @_jessicadavies : There is a culture of misogyny online & social media platforms need to do more to protect women. But why is there such a huge demand for unconsensual content? Why are men doxxing women? Why are thousands gathering to share rape fantasies? The blame can't all be on the platforms https://twitter.com/... Dr. Mary Anne Franks / @ma_franks : The same wrongheaded requirement appears in the majority of US state laws, allowing the majority of perpetrators to act with impunity. @CCRInitiative continues to advocate for laws that focus on the lack of victim's consent, not the perpetrator's intent. https://www.bbc.com/... https://twitter.com/... Miss Freda Wallace / @freda_wa11ace : This is an increasing problem and happened to a friend of mine. The police do nothing. The advice was- dont share photos online. That isn't the answer because it depends on the context and who is using it to control you. Much like ppl who shared pre-trans images of me. https://twitter.com/... @theasianfmnst : @McGlynnClare, law professor at the University of Durham and expert on this kind of online abuse, says: “This is not a phenomenon of perverts or weirdos or other oddballs who are doing this. There are too many of them, and it's tens of thousands of men.” https://www.bbc.com/... @womenreadwomen : Women are facing threats and blackmail from a mob of anonymous strangers after their personal details, intimate photos and videos were shared on Reddit. The videos appeared to depict women who had been secretly filmed during sex. https://www.bbc.com/... Dr. Ann Olivarius / @annolivarius : ""Anyone got any vids of this [expletive]?" “I have her whole folder for £5, snap me,” another said. “What's her socials,"" Sharing videos without consent like this is still legal. As long as you do it “for a laugh” and not to harm. @monikaplaha https://www.bbc.com/...