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Original poster

Did something actually happen on Sunday night?

117 replies

woodenbatandball · 04/02/2025 06:42

I was reading a post that said the site was infiltrated with child abuse images on Sunday under some kind of attack.
Lots of people hadn't been online to see this but some said they did. The thread was then deleted and there has been no explanation. And the media is silent about it. Can anyone confirm if this actually happened and if it did, why aren't Mumsnet commenting? All seems badly handled for Mumsnet not to comment either way.

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Original poster
woodenbatandball · 04/02/2025 08:22

Thank you @UnstableEquilibrium really appreciate it. Feel like I'm going mad.

And if being able to post horrific images of child abuse isn't a security breach I don't know what is. Especially if it is a SPAM bot. The fact that Mumsnet are deleting perfectly reasonable threads talking about this (when they let the majority of 'repeated' threads stay up suggests they want to bury this and hope it goes away, which in hand suggests they don't want anyone to find out about it because it will affect their advertising revenue. I think it's a piss poor PR job and if they don't release a more prominent statement really shows how much Mumsnet actually cares about its customers.

OP posts:
FictionalCharacter · 04/02/2025 08:20

woodenbatandball · 04/02/2025 08:09

@foxandbee where is it? If Mumsnet actually made it obvious and had highlighted it on their homepage there wouldn't be so many threads. This isn't just someone spamming swear words.

I agree with you. A response from MN in a Site Stuff thread about the night watch system, which most of us wouldn't read, isn't enough. It isn't a proper announcement.

I didn't know that they'd disabled uploading photos. I still haven't seen any post from MN saying they've done that, only thread replies from MNers saying it. I might well have tried to upload something to a completely innocuous topic like gardening, and wondered whether there was some fault with the site. So I could have inadvertently started another thread about this issue.

Westfacing · 04/02/2025 08:18

woodenbatandball · 04/02/2025 08:12

And I still can't find the official comment from Mumsnet. If anyone can signpost it to me. Pretty disgusted that they have tried to bury this blatant security breach.

It wasn't a security breach though was it - posting photos is/was allowed.

JustBitetheKnotsOff · 04/02/2025 08:17

I get the anger. But why are you suggesting it's a security breach? There isn't a suggestion that user details were compromised. Someone/several people/a spambot posted foul criminal images to threads.

UnstableEquilibrium · 04/02/2025 08:14

Futurename · 04/02/2025 07:20

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/site_stuff/5266690-its-time-to-rethink-the-night-watch-volunteer-system

No need for another thread.

To be fair, it's far from obvious from that thread title what it refers to. If I hadn't been online the morning after and clicked on one of the deleted threads with more obvious titles I wouldn't realise that that's the thread with the answer to the OP's question.

I do think that MNHQ should have also posted a locked pinned thread on site stuff titled something obvious like
"MNHQ response to the shocking posts on Sunday night and temporary removal of image posting"

Original poster
woodenbatandball · 04/02/2025 08:12

And I still can't find the official comment from Mumsnet. If anyone can signpost it to me. Pretty disgusted that they have tried to bury this blatant security breach.

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Original poster
woodenbatandball · 04/02/2025 08:10

@Futurename unless I'm a mind reader how the hell would I know this thread refers to class a child abuse images that were plastered all over the site

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Original poster
woodenbatandball · 04/02/2025 08:09

@foxandbee where is it? If Mumsnet actually made it obvious and had highlighted it on their homepage there wouldn't be so many threads. This isn't just someone spamming swear words.

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Original poster
woodenbatandball · 04/02/2025 08:09

@LastNightMyPJsSavedMyLife whilst I appreciate your situation. I think those two f us who didn't see them should expect some formal statement clarity from Mumsnet. Online safety is massively important and this feels more damage limitation from Mumsnet than trying to protect any of us. If someone can spam the account with horrific child abuse images what else can they do, access our personal details?

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Futurename · 04/02/2025 07:19

There's a long thread about this already on Site Stuff with updates from MNHQ.

foxandbee · 04/02/2025 07:17

The thread discussing it has statements from MNHQ and is right next to this one in site stuff. Not sure why you started a separate thread!

LastNightMyPJsSavedMyLife · 04/02/2025 07:10

I saw them and I'm sick to death of people who didn't see them starting thread after thread about it. As if it wasn't horrific enough for those who suffered but to be constantly reminded. Just stop. Please.

CerealPosterHere · 04/02/2025 06:49

They’re deleting threads to keep everything together which makes sense. If you find the thread on site stuff (title is about the night watch) you’ll see what mnhq have said about it all.

Grumpyoldpersonwithcats · 04/02/2025 06:47

Uploading photos has been disabled

Original poster
woodenbatandball · 04/02/2025 06:46

But this is HUGE. I think it's highly irresponsible to just keep deleting threads about this without commenting or signposting. They need to release an official statement. It puts everyone on this site in a vulnerable situation. What are they doing to rectify the problem.

OP posts:
ApolloandDaphne · 04/02/2025 06:44

They have commented on it on a thread in Site Stuff. It has been reported to the relevant authorities.

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