Oxford Student newspaper doxes Twitter account by possible criminal unauthorised use of a comptuer system

[QuietContraryMary]

Heads up.

www.oxfordstudent.com/2018/10/26/transphobic-tweets-linked-to-oxford-sociology-professor/

"The Twitter account, named Henry Wimbush and still online at the time of publication, has been tweeting statements such as “transphobia is a word created by fascists, and used by cowards, to manipulate morons” since first Tweeting in January.

"it was found that the account in question could be linked to a partial phone number and Yahoo! email using freely available data and by making use of Twitter’s various functions. The Yahoo! email itself is also linked to a phone number ending in the same numbers as those previously identified, while also revealing that it is connected to the" [partially redacted email]

How this hack works:

go to twitter.com/login

click 'forgotten your password'

type in your username, or a third party's username

you will get a message something like this:

We found the following information associated with your account.
Text a code to my phone ending in 12.
Email a link to ab*********@a.**

Note that:

• the last digits of the phone number can be used to tie your account to any phone number, since there are obviously 100 different combinations, so if it matches a phone number known by the doxer, it essentially identifies you
• I'm not clear exactly how much information is given on email addresses in every case, but at a minimum you get the first two letters of the username (before the @), the first two letters of the domain name (the bit after the @), and the exact length of both parts of the address.

So for example, if you signed up, anonymously, to Twitter using the email address justine*@mumsnet.com, then it would show to any attacker ju******@mu.** if they tried to recover it in order to dox the owner.

The use of this feature in order to dox people most likely constitutes an offence under the Computer Misuse Act s1 as the use of this feature to dox people is clearly not authorised by Twitter, and I would encourage those affected to report the people involved to the police.

Hence I am not repeating the criminally obtained dox of the person, and I would encourage people NOT the repeat the name in this thread.

Note that this doxing follows quite soon from Aimee Challenor boasting of outing Miranda Yardley's Twitter account using the same means.

Whether there are more serious offences committed is hard to say, as the doxing itself is obviously a preparatory act to having people fired, harassed, threatened, family & children harassed, and so on, but the doing so is not necessarily planned by the original doxer so it would be hard to prove a more serious offence.

I would advise those who are on Twitter and are not using their real name to create a gmail/yahoo/other anonymous webmail account, matching the twitter username (so if you are @ARealRadFem on Twitter, make a yahoo mail account [email protected]). In terms of the phone verification that's a little trickier as the 1/100 last two digits is VERY outing if they have a suspicion who you are, but otherwise completely useless. I have had some luck in the past with adding an extra digit (so if you are 07812 456789, you can add an extra digit on like this 07812 4567890, and verification phone calls still work), but YMMV on that.

I think that mis-using forgotten password could very arguably fall under computer mis-use legally personally.

By using twitter, you agree to their terms of use - for example:

by interfering with them or accessing them using a method other than the interface and the instructions that we provide

Using the forgotten password facility to access details on another user most certainly is 'other than... the instructions that we provide' - that facility is provided to gain access to your account, not other peoples' (that would be hacking)

Their terms of service explicitly say that you're agreeing with them having access themselves, not giving access to all and sundry. Not to mention their rules explicitly forbid sharing other people's information, or threatening to do so.

TRAs go on and on about eevurl t*fs doxing and outing them and yet here we have one crowing about someone having done just that. The world is a topsy turvy place.

*This never happens, it's always the TRAs in a truly obvious DARVO that in most cases simply puts women and children at risk of harm.

I think it’s very relevant. Who are you then? If you don’t want to say, why do you think you should be entitled to anonymity but not Mr Henry?

@OrangeStudent I wonder if you could expand on what views this professor holds which are "fundamentally contrary and incompatable with the values of the University"? Thanks.

@AssassinatedBeauty He is a transphobe

I get that's your accusation, but what are you basing that claim on?

Are you Markinson?

LemonJello I'm not "entitled" to online anonymity.

It is a breach of the computer Misuse Act.
The 'recover password' function has to be available to the person who owns the account. Its unavoidable that in making it accessible to the owner, they also make it accessible to everyone else.
It is not an invitation to treat, any more than my keys left in my front door is an invitation to anyone to enter my home.

www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1990/18/section/1

Unauthorised access to computer material.
(1)A person is guilty of an offence if—
(a)he causes a computer to perform any function with intent to secure access to any program or data held in any computer
(b)the access he intends to secure is unauthorised; and
(c)he knows at the time when he causes the computer to perform the function that that is the case.

LemonJello Literally don't know who that is

So have the courage of your convictions and stand by your righteous accusations of transphobia!

What's your definition of transphobe?

Because as far as I can tell it spans a vast spectrum, from correctly being used to describe those who do seek to commit acts of physical violence and harassment against trans people (which is clearly wrong) through to people who want to defend the legality of women-only spaces (currently allowed under the Equalities Act), and women's freedom of speech to talk about their need for women-only spaces.

So what's your meaning of "transphobic"? Is it transphobic of me, for instance, to say that Karen White should not have been imprisoned in a women's prison?

If you won’t, perhaps you need to re-evaluate your own views and conduct

That's completely clear there Upstart - definitely misuse.

You are entitled to online anonymity - just like people in the UK are in normal day to day life. We're not required to carry any identifying documents, or prove who we are to visit Tescos, and Police officers can't require you give your name, or even require that you talk to them unless they have reasonable suspicion and under strict circumstances!

Recent Guardian Letter, 'Academics are being harassed over their research into transgender issues'
(extract)
"We represent a newly formed network of over 100 academics, most of whom are currently employed in UK universities. We are concerned, from a range of academic perspectives, about proposed governmental reforms to the Gender Recognition Act, and their interaction with the Equality Act.

Our subject areas include: sociology, philosophy, law, criminology, evidence-informed policy, medicine, psychology, education, history, English, social work, computer science, cognitive science, anthropology, political science, economics, and history of art. This week, following an opportunity offered to us by Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, we have submitted to the consultation a number of letters, outlining, as individuals, concerns about the introduction of self-ID for gender reassignment.

We are also concerned about the suppression of proper academic analysis and discussion of the social phenomenon of transgenderism, and its multiple causes and effects. Members of our group have experienced campus protests, calls for dismissal in the press, harassment, foiled plots to bring about dismissal, no-platforming, and attempts to censor academic research and publications. Such attacks are out of line with the ordinary reception of critical ideas in the academy, where it is normally accepted that disagreement is reasonable and even productive.

Many of our universities have close links with trans advocacy organisations who provide “training” of academics and management, and who, it is reasonable to suppose, influence university policy through these links. Definitions used by these organisations of what counts as “transphobic” can be dangerously all-encompassing and go well beyond what a reasonable law would describe. They would not withstand academic analysis, and yet their effect is to curtail academic freedom and facilitate the censoring of academic work." (continues)
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3396754-Academics-letter-in-Guardian

Relevent threads:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3238951-some-good-news

Bristol:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3233018-Freedom-of-Speech-A-statement-by-the-Chair-of-the-Universitys-Equality-Diversity-and-Inclusion-Group

Newcastle:
"A Northumbria University spokesman said they decided to allow the event to take place because it was their “legal duty to uphold freedom of speech”.

He added: “We can confirm that this external event took place on campus on Thursday evening, which provided an opportunity for constructive and peaceful debate.

“The university considered this request carefully on the basis of our legal duty to uphold freedom of speech."
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3208735-Womens-Place-Newcastle?pg=2&messages=100

Sussex:
University of Sussex Vice Chancellor's statement, 'Living Our Values':
(extract)
"I have also reflected upon a situation involving an academic member of staff here at Sussex and the concerns raised by some members of our community on the views that she has shared on the Gender Recognition Act, which the government is currently consulting on.

The academic in question has come under fire for articulating views, informed by her philosophical research and scholarship, on the laws and customs surrounding gender identity. Although she has stated that she is fully supportive of the rights of everyone to identify their own gender, she has also raised questions about where boundaries should be set and these have provoked strong feelings and, in some cases, accusations. It’s at this juncture I’ve felt uncomfortable about the implication that there may be something more sinister going on.

This situation is actually a telling example of how we can choose to call upon our values to inform how we act.

By celebrating inclusion, we must recognise the personal courage of the many individuals who come up against abuse or unacceptable behaviour - just because they are being themselves. I know it has been extremely difficult for many people in the transgender and non-binary community to hear the views held by our academic.

But for me, alongside this, we must also be kind to those people who are brave enough to share their own views – and respect the courage they have for doing so. Whether it is one of our academics or another member of staff, or one of our students, I feel very strongly that we must respect their right to free speech. I hold a deep-rooted concern about the future of our democratic society if we silence the views of people we don't agree with – even if our disagreements are vehemently opposed." (continues)
www.sussex.ac.uk/staff/newsandevents/?id=45388?ref=emailaccessible
thread:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3292400-WPUK-Brighton-Meeting-Turning-the-Tide

Edinburgh
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3392001-Calls-for-Rector-of-Edinburgh-University-to-be-sacked-because-she-re-tweeted-message-about-House-of-Commons-meeting-on-GRA

Reading
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3350957-Academic-Freedom-Please-Help

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3335045-Professor-Rosa-Freedman

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3402958-I-dont-give-a-fuck-about-your-traumatic-sexual-assault

Goldsmiths
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3359116-The-Times-smear-campaign-by-trans-lecturer-at-Goldsmiths

Because as far as I can tell it spans a vast spectrum

Yes, just like racism, homophobia and sexism there are degrees of transphobia, the fact there are violent extreme forms of it doesn't stop more "mild" forms still being transphobia.

Just for ultimate topicalness, here is the Oxford Universities own definition of transphobia which is pretty extensive and good.

www.admin.ox.ac.uk/eop/transgender/transgenderguidance/12transphobicabuseharassmentandbullying/

So, can you cite specific examples of when this professor has expressed views or made statements which are contrary to that guidance?

Transphobia includes transmisogyny,

Oh come ON.

AssassinatedBeauty

Regularly on his twitter lmfao

Datun You may disagree with it, but thats the definition that Oxford (and basically every other uni) uses and that he signed up to when he went to work there.

Cite them please, you must be able to do so very easily given how confident you are that that this professor is a transphobe.

Just for ultimate topicalness, here is the Oxford Universities own definition of transphobia which is pretty extensive and good.

OrangeStudent Can draw your attention to this extract from the open letter published in the Guardian Tue 16 Oct 2018?

"Many of our universities have close links with trans advocacy organisations who provide “training” of academics and management, and who, it is reasonable to suppose, influence university policy through these links. Definitions used by these organisations of what counts as “transphobic” can be dangerously all-encompassing and go well beyond what a reasonable law would describe. They would not withstand academic analysis, and yet their effect is to curtail academic freedom and facilitate the censoring of academic work."

Oxford University are using the word transmisogyny in their diversity policy? Transmisogyny has no legal definition. It's a made up word transactivists

That article is very poorly written, and shows the university in a very bad light.

As far as I can see the Professor has done nothing wrong other than no being a true believer of the gender doctrine.

The final paragraph is pure McCarthyism.

The Oxford Student is currently investigating other claims of harassment and inappropriate comments by staff members of the University. If you have experience of this, and would be happy to be quoted anonymously, please use this anonymous form.

Datun It doesn't need to have a legal definition to be included in their diversity policy and student handbook (and the equilivent for staff).