The MNHQ Moderation team

[BarrackerBarmer]

Dear MNHQ

I'm very grateful for the commitment to free speech you've publicly taken, and for Justine's courage this week.

A former disgruntled employee of MN is writing on Twitter about the 'transphobia' of MN staff, and calling you TERFs. She is showing a great deal of bias and intolerance towards women with feminist views, this may well be her honest opinion, which is no big deal I suppose, since she is no longer an employee.

At least, it isn't an issue until she calls a shout out to her
'friends who still work at MN' to report and take down posts by 'transphobic scum', by which she appears to be referring to any poster objecting to being called TERF by her friend.

Regardless of the personal views of the MNHQ staff, who should be as free to hold their own views as I am mine, I am disturbed that there may be a small contingent of employees who are invested in unfair moderation and will not be applying fair-handed principles, at least if the claims of this ex-employee are credible.

Can you please give posters some reassurance that the difficult job of fair-handed moderation isn't being abused by the 'friends' of ex-employees who are 'reporting it all' and taking down posts because any gender criticism means the poster is 'transphobic scum'?

Thank you.

What Emma Healey and her co-conspirators have done is, in the most literal non-dramatic sense, terrorism of a sort. Threatening Justine didn't work, threatening the advertisers didn't work, so EH has taken this drastic (and evidently pre-meditated) step to frighten women off this forum. That's what terrorism is - you try to damage a few to alter the behaviours of the many, and to make them fearful.

It's not going to work. I stand by everything I've posted on here.

Doxxing, shaming, attacking women is not "journalism" by any stretch of the imagination. Doxxing women on a platform that many women trying to survive DV and abusive relationships use for support is a despicable act.

I hope that not just Emma Healey has to face the consequences of her actions, but all her co-conspirators, too. I would happily contribute to a crowdfunder to help pay for a lawyer on this.

Fantastic Man Friday blog post.

wine I think she meant your wrong about there being work consequences for holding gc views...

There really shouldn't be. I can't see how an organisation would get away with that?

I can't see how an organisation would get away with that?

Plenty of people can't express gender critical views for fear of reprisals at work, including losing their jobs.

There was a thread on it not so long ago. IIRC, loads of people in academia saying they couldn't say what they thought on trans issues at work.

TRAs remind me of this ad

I hope that not just Emma Healey has to face the consequences of her actions, but all her co-conspirators, too. I would happily contribute to a crowdfunder to help pay for a lawyer on this.

Me too, and I don't understand why the LibDems are allowing that twitter account be associated with them - surely they'll have to take action now that it's been complicit in publishing stolen information?

Emma,

You very silly woman. Were you unaware when you stole data of what the probably consequences would be to the women you have doxed?

Were you not told about Jeffrey and the real life consequences to Justine and a poster or two?

Did you honestly think that TRAs were delicate little flowers and women were just making it up about them?

Well, now you know what the potential consequences of your actions are. I suspect that's what you're sorry about, that you unleashed a beast that you can't control and you know that if you try they will turn on you just as badly.

You have also made yourself unemployable in any position of trust ever again. The internet, as the women you set out to dox might find out, is forever. Your appallingly unprofessional behaviour is forever. Whenever a future employer searches your name, they will find out that you are a data protection risk. Forever.

Was it worth it for your 15 minutes?

I do hope so.

Anyone living near Bristol should come and support Venice and the Jam Jar tomorrow night and let the people see that the women, and men, going out to speak and exercise their right to free speech. There are camera crews and quite a lot of noise but a well supported event can really change things. www.facebook.com/events/2098554853748863/

Why is this not showing in active?

Is it just me?

I just wanted to clarify when I say the response was inadequate, that it's not because Emma has not been arrested, but because MNHQ have not emailed all users and made an announcement.

They should be doing the usual "there has been a data breach, at this time we are unable to ascertain exactly what material has been taken but it may include your username, email and any other personal information you may have given us. We recommend changing any passwords that you reused on other sites. If you have any queries or concerns please contact us etc"

It seems MNHQ is focused on keeping this as quiet as possible, when they should be warning all of their users.

Why is this not showing in active?

Because it's a huge embarrassment to Mumsnet and they're hoping that nobody other than us will notice?

*DarthArts
*
I saw this thread in active hours ago after someone claimed it was not.

What about those of us with static IP addresses. As other posters, including the many excellent posts by @Bumblefuddle , have said the MN response to this is underwhelming and unacceptable.

@JustineMumsnet , can you detail exactly what user information the various levels of staff in the organisation can see, and what measures are in place to monitor their activities?

Simply placing a blanket over the fire Emma has created (and should be prosecuted for given she absolutely knew and was in complete control of her actions, even down to the reduction of her Twitter) will not end this - the data is spread amongst many people now, once something is posted on the internet, in any form, it's there forever.

Also, with regards to dynamic IPs, most companies assign in blocks, thus only the last three digits are liable to change. This enables the advanced tracking tools available today to pinpoint street name and postcode. If someone wishes to find out who you are, and whom resides at the address it's not difficult at all.

It's definitely in Active now.

I can see this thread in Active.

I will say this again, there is palpable fear here of outings.

Do not be scared. They work on your fear. You have nothing to be scared of.

My name is Abigail Roscoe. Come after me if you want to. I have no fear of your tactics. You are the ones who are scared, as ever, you fear women, you use the usual tactics of intimidation, violence and exposure. The tactics of the cowardly.

I'm not scared of your lady-cocks. If you brand them such, I ridicule them.

You, TRAs are cowardly boys.

I admire women such as Miranda Yardley who knows the truth of her existence. And I admire women like Magdalene Berns who keep on speaking truth to whatever detriment.

I despise men who put on lady-face and simultaneously hate women whilst pretending to be one.

And threaten and belittle women. And deride women for their biology and lives.

Fuck them.

Exactly. I got caught up in a data breach once before, and woke up to an email explaining what had happened, apologizing, and giving instructions as to what steps to take to mitigate risk. Meanwhile in this case I've yet to get confirmation that Mumsnet have even contacted the specific members whose IP addresses they know have been leaked.

It's not OK to fall back on some kind of oh we're all just mums together excuse here. Mumsnet is a company and as such has responsibilities to its users, one of which is taking steps to protect their data.

After the products and surveys it is the second topic. Possibly it is higher on "active" on my view as I have hidden all trans threads.

Screenshot showing it in active.

If anyone wants to check if they have been subject to a data breach you can check (and sign up for updates on new breaches involving you) here:. haveibeenpwned.com

It's a legit site and they don't spam you, just let you know more your email address pops up in any of the data lists doing the rounds.

@JustineMumsnet If an intern stole half a dozen laptops, your car and purse and sold them on, would that be ok as long as they gave a wholehearted apology to another member of staff?

I am stunned by the utter lack of action regarding this data theft.

I imagine the kind of top level legal advice and technical support on GDPR, ICO, and IT breaches @JustineMumsnet requires, isn't available at 11 o'clock at night. I don't think there is much more that MNHQ can do at this point, but I appreciate that subsequently it may appear that this isn't being taken seriously.

With any potential breach of data/contract etc, a thorough investigation needs to be completed, preferably by an impartial third party. These things take time. Even if the police were acting on it - it would take time. They would need to obtain appropriate warrants/access, and make contact with people. They wouldn't be taking action at this time of night for pretty much anything unless there was a risk of immediate harm or danger, and there is no indication that there is an immediate risk (although I completely understand why this is concerning for those whose IP addresses have been posted online).

I'm sure Justine and MNHQ are taking all your concerns on board, but I imagine that they a) don't want to prejudice any potential investigation b) jump the gun and make any accusations that could leave them liable to defamation/libel c) give away any key information on strategy that might affect their ability to deliver and d) give the media/public/social media an excuse to drag them over hot coals when they have already had a fucker of a week.

I'm sure they are appreciative of all the advice and concern, but I really do think their hands are tied with regard to making any determined responses to this right now so maybe benefit of the doubt should come into play here? MN know they need posters on side - they are nothing without us posters, after all.

I'm not one for sticking up for MNHQ, [kiss] and I'm not here much except for the occasional lurk but I admire their gutsy stance on free speech, and that they have enabled the robust discussion on gender ideology on here when so many places shut it down.

Don't ask to be deleted. Don't make your voice null because some arsehole makes threats.

Don't do that. They want you to do that.