Broadcaster and Times columnist Caitlin Moran weighs in on reaction to Twitter abuse
British broadcaster, TV critic and Times columnist Caitlin Moran has weighed in on the ‘can’t do' reaction to suggestions on how Twitter can effectively deal with abuse on the network, backing a 24-hour mass walk out on Sunday 4 August.
Six days into the ongoing story surrounding Caroline Criado-Perez, who facilitated a campaign to get at least one British woman included in the redesign of British banknotes, and received threats of rape on Twitter for it, Moran claims that suggesting victims of hateful messages simply block abusers and “get on with their lives” is not a good enough solution.
In the case of Criado-Perez, who was receiving up to 50 rape threats an hour on Twitter, Moran writes: “Consider the logistics of this [block button]. If a woman is getting fifty of these messages an hour, blocking all the abusers becomes something of a thankless, full-time job.
“By the time a woman has finished defending herself for her abusers, and actually gets around to doing what she came on Twitter to do – to talk, to communicate – she’s already exhausted. And, also, a little more angry, paranoid, defensive and, frankly, rattled than the non-abused people her Tweets appear next to. There’s nothing quite like being repeatedly told you’re violatable and worthless to send you to bed anxious and unhappy.”
Despite various suggestions of how to deal with the issue appearing online and no real “definitive answer” Moran dismisses those who claimed nothing could be done due to “freedom of speech” commenting: “Anyone who says “Hey, guys – what about freedom of speech!” hasn’t the faintest idea what “freedom of speech” actually means.” Adding that Article 10 of the European Convention freedom of expression outlaws “obscenity, sedition, glorifying terrorism, incitement of racial hatred, sending articles which are indecent or grossly offensive with an intent to cause anxiety or distress, and threatening, abusive or insulting words like to cause harassment, alarm or distress” already.
Criticising the ‘can’t do’ attitude many have expressed in respect to handling Twitter abuse, Moran remarks “Dude, everyone in the Western world lives an existence wholly defined by constant change…What someone who says “Things cannot change” means, more often that not, is “I do not want things to change.”
“There is a neat squaring of the circle when you notice that, on this issue, those who say “Things cannot change” are, in the overwhelming majority, men – and that the people they are trying to shut down who are saying, repeatedly, “Things must change,” are women.”
Adding: “Shame on anyone whose argument basically boils down to saying that “The thing about the internet is, it’s a place where hundreds of anonymous men can threaten to rape women – and that is how it will always be.”
“That is in an odd, dark denial of the fundamental decency of human nature and the law. It is illegal to act in this manner on the internet, and the social networking sites on which it happens need to be reminded of that unambiguously. As Andy Trotter said on Monday, of internet platform providers, such as Twitter, “You can’t just set them up, and then walk away.”
In her conclusion Moran gives her backing to “he mooted 24-hour walk-out on 4th of August, because not only is it a symbolic act of solidarity – which are my favourite kinds of symbolic acts – but because it will also focus minds at Twitter to come up with their own solution to the abuses of their private company.”
Commenting that though Twitter may be in vogue just now she reminds the powers that be at the platform “it only takes a couple of months for it to become the new Friends Reunited, MySpace, the new Bebo.”