Emma's apology has to be fairly bland from a legal point of view otherwise she risks saying something which would cause more problems for her legally, and potentially for MN.
I am not sure she really could say a lot more under the circumstances (and without legal advice).
I think whatever she said, it wouldn't have have been good enough.
Personally i'm not terribly interested in an apology from her. I just hope she has learned a valuable lesson in life, and other people are more aware of Data Protection issues and personal security issues and learn from it.
I am more concerned about how MN handle things going forward. It throws up a lot of issues and questions about how MN is run. Justine demonstrated last night how lacking they are in some areas.
I know that few companies really are fully compliant and understand data protection law as it stands, never mind GDPR. DH has dealt with people who think they understand on a regular basis, only for him to ask a few questions and find they are shockingly ignorant and lacking in their understanding. People who you would expect to know better and to be handling your data better.
This is something that will only be exposed in time as people make huge fuck ups and these fuck ups have consequences. People caught in the middle of it all, will suffer and be exploited as a result. Its the nature if the beast to a degree.
People do not understand the concept of your data being valuable. The whole thing over Bounty and people thinking they got stuff for free was a real eye opener for me on that score. Until the majority of people understand this as a concept then noone will give it the serious thought it deserves. We are years off that. It will happen in time.
I think Emma should be given a break on a personal level. She's been 'google stalked' due to her own poor understanding of what information she's put out there is her fault but still bloody intrusive and will make her feel exposed. Her naivety over the whole issue, her lack of understanding of her privilege, her very shallow concept of feminism and her piss poor knowledge of how politics fits into every day life are on display to the whole world.
Yes she's acted maliciously and deliberately and fucked people over, but she is getting more than a 'slap on the wrist' just from the public nature of it all. I don't feel comfortable with the idea of 'making her pay for it' on an emotional level that some are saying (the legal recourse is a practical not emotional issue).
An apology never means shit anyway. Its what you do next that matters. Even if it sounded sincere it might not be.
I have one piece of advice for Emma. You don't know it all: don't try to tell people who are older and have more experience that they know nothing. This doesn't mean you are less important or your values less worthy. Sit down and listen for once rather than believing in your own moral superiority alone. Student politics doesn't tend to do that. Grow and learn why. The idealism of youth is utterly crushing when it hits reality. We all go through it in some way. Many here are the product of that effect, for better or worse. Learn to channel your sense of injustice and frustration in better ways. Law abiding and respectful ones.
And for god sake learn the fundamental principle of the law of unintended consequences which frankly I expect any politics graduate to be well versed in more than most.