From threats and abuse to deepfakes, X is not safe for women | Women’s Agenda

My Collective Shout colleagues and I have been subjected to a sustained, intense campaign of misogynistic abuse, writes Caitlin Roper.

Why? Because we successfully campaigned to get rape, incest and child sexual abuse games off a few popular gaming platforms.

This isn’t the first time I’ve been on the receiving end of threats of violence, harassment and abuse, given I’m a woman on the internet speaking out against men’s violence against women. Or just, given I’m a woman on the Internet. But this time is the most extreme it’s ever been. And while the abuse has occurred across platforms, it is the most intense on X (formerly Twitter.)

These misogynistic gamers have sent us rape and death threats, and images of weapons like guns and knives accompanied by descriptions of how they intend to use them on us. They send us violent porn depicting women being tortured and tell us this is what they will do to us. They send us CSAM [child sexual abuse material]. They threaten our families, our children. They encourage us to kill ourselves. They call us “c**ts” and “rapemeat”. They distribute whatever personal info about us they can dig up. They turn us into porn which they post on the public platform.

The abuse has been so extreme it has been condemned by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, Reem Alsalem, who described it as “horrific” and some of the most serious she had seen.

What makes X unique is that there is almost no moderation. These men are permitted to post illegal threats, defamatory and false claims, and image-based abuse (sometimes known as ‘revenge porn’) for the most part without any consequences whatsoever.

First, where previously X users could block individuals they didn’t want to engage with, or who were harassing or abusing them, the block function no longer prevents the blocked party from viewing the tweets. This allows for continued stalking and surveillance by abusers, leaving victims with little recourse if they want to remain on the platform.

Blocking also only applies to a single profile. When one user sent me death threats, I blocked him. He came back with a new account. I blocked him again. It became a game for him – he would taunt me, reappearing from behind new accounts with little hints for me, like the same image of a knife he had sent previously, or the same pornographic image he had made of me, and the words “Guess who!” To date, I have blocked and reported 22 accounts from this user who has made it his mission to terrorise me – enabled by X. Even if X terminates his account, he is permitted to make another, and another, and another.

In a state of emotional exhaustion and utter exasperation, I posted a screen capture of some of the threats and abuse I was being sent. What happened next? X punished me.

X was theoretically supposed to function as a “digital town square” where people could come together and discuss ideas. But X is so openly hostile to women it’s becoming clear that we are not welcome.

Source: From threats and abuse to deepfakes, X is not safe for women

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