The TerFblocker list

[FourRustedHorses]

Are there any legal people here who could answer a few questions about the legality of this list?

1- The list is held/created by a political party candidate so surely this list must comply with data protection rules given its political in nature?

2- what’s the legality of a political party candidate using such a list to not only silence women but also people in the constituency they plan to run for?

3- data protection has very specific rules on the holding of data especially when that data includes names, locations and sexual orientation. There are many women on that list using real names, their town locations and declaring their sexual orientation primarily leabians. Does this list fall under those rules?

It is created and presumably ‘held’ in the UK given who created it.

4- could the list be considered a form of deformation of character given everyone on it is labelled a ‘terf’?

5 does the list cause any issue with regards to the equality act (I think) given its mostly women and highly sexist?

6 what about safeguarding if there are under 18s on that list? Holding data on children is a different kettle of fish surely?

7- Are there any other issues such a list could cause given its held and used by people in positions of power to primarily silence an oppressed class - women?

8- what rules must political party candidates adhere to when creating lists of this nature?

This list has existed for a while and I can’t find anybody information whether it’s legal, whether there are any conflicts or if the latests GDPR rules apply. Specifically because of who created it and it’s intent.

[FourRustedHorses]

To the mumsnet mods. I hope this question is allowed given the use of some terms.

[Angryresister]

Maybe the guardian are using the list to block our comments too...

[FourRustedHorses]

It’s frustrating. I just want to know how legal this is given how and why it was created. It’s stopping any kind of debate on social media. Rap when you couple that with FB silencing.

[UpstartCrow]

If there were lists that blocked Jews or Black people, and that used defamatory names in their title, I don't think so many people would have any problem seeing the issue.
It would certainly be harder for the fake left wingers to support it.

Especially if the timelines of people that used the list were full of violence and hate speech directed at the people on the list.

[arranfan]

My understanding of GDPR is superficial - however, some of these concerns are legitimate GDPR issues that The Green Party's Data Controller etc. should answer as a matter of some urgency.

[FourRustedHorses]

Indeed upstart that’s why I’m asking.

Every single little piece needs to be challenged. If this is indeed illegal or just really dodgy it needs to be challenged either via political parties or legally.

If this was the labour leader blocking a specific group, outrage.

[FourRustedHorses]

Thanks arran I have as much knowledge in GDPR/data protection as you but a brief look at the law shows a lot of protential issues.

[FourRustedHorses]

Please excuse my typos.

[WarmWishes]

Is this the blocktogether.org one? I'm not blocked by that but am blocked by something.

[FourRustedHorses]

I’m blocked by something too. Not sure which one. But @everydayfeminism and @Nus_LgBt (both verified accounts!) have me blocked so it’s whichever those ones use. And terfblocker has blocked me. Which is rather amusing for 750 follower account to be allegedly blocking 50,000. That bubble is small and echoey

[Ereshkigal]

There are multiple lists. Challenor's was a big one.

[NameChangedAgain18]

Additional question (more for the Green Party than for legal bods, though): is it possible that the creator of this list may have had access to the personal data of Green Party members, given (a) their role as a spokesperson in the Party and (b) that membership records for local members was held in their home? Is there a problem with the same premises being used for the creation of software to facilitate silencing and doxxing of women and for the collection of local party members’ data? Or with members of the same family being engaged in both these things?

[FlippinFumin]

I went to follow a Twitter link from here the other day and it said I was blocked. I have not tweeted anything except the Gareth Southgate thing during the World Cup, about him being the boy you turn down becoming the bloke you regret turning down. Anyway, I am sure that is it. But, I follow an awful lot of GC Feminists, which must be the reason I am blocked from some accounts. So am I on a list? Does that guarantee me instant access to clubs and stuff?

[Oldstyle]

Important and hugely pertinent questions OP. Hope someone has some answers and, more to the point, hope the GP (and other public organisations using this or similar lists) are called to account. Won't hold my breath though.

[FourRustedHorses]

Thanks oldstyle

It’s not just the Green Party who need to answer these questions but any politician using it/endorsing it/ignoring its existence, the NUS LGBT or any other public organisation using this list.

Especially, ESPECIALLY, given recent revelations about JB, DC and the silence by those organisations.

[PyeWackets]

Aimee denies running Terfblocker, do we know who set it up?

[paintedwingsandgiantrings]

Yes, how do we know there's a link between Aimee Challenor and terf blocker for sure?

[Oldstyle]

There was a tweet from her - I'll try to find it - boasting about having 50,000 terfs on a blocklist. And she and DC are apparently very tech-savvy. So circumstantial rather than nailed-it evidence. Might not have been Terfblocker of course, might have been the GPs equivalent.

[FourRustedHorses]

THis has been shared widely on twitter.

[EverardDigby]

Name they will have had access to all Cov GP members’ details and I guess someone also has access to a LGBT list, though I guess that might be done via social media. As the election agent DC will also have a copy of the electoral register for the constituency.

[FourRustedHorses]

There’s another where Aimee denies it a day later.

Just for clarification the @terfblocker twitter account was created March 2018.

There are multiple terf blocker lists. One imploded recently iirc after a trans activist saw the light I think, deleted the list and it’s associated account but I don’t have any evidence of that. Just memory.

[Ereshkigal]

There are multiple terf blocker lists. One imploded recently iirc after a trans activist saw the light I think, deleted the list and it’s associated account but I don’t have any evidence of that. Just memory.

If you mean the original main one, Madigan brought it down when they had an argument about "cis gay men". It was hilarious.

AC references that in the tweets about it.

[Ereshkigal]

It's in the link above posted by Oldstyle - "the sudden deletion of #terfblocker"

[FourRustedHorses]

Two blocklists. My concern is the number of blocked accounts and if any organisation is using one or multiple blocklists that’s a hell of a lot of people silenced.

It’s also possible individual details appear on multiple lists.