British MP Jess Phillips calls for end to online anonymity after getting ‘600 rape threats’ in one night
MP says complete anonymity for social media trolls poses a threat to democracy
British Labour Party MP Jess Phillips was bombarded with more than 600 rape threats in a single night, she has revealed, as she called for online trolls to no longer be allowed anonymity.
Phillips said she is constantly the object of vicious abuse online, with the police having issued harassment orders against two people. She has concluded from her experience that parliament needs to force people to make their identities available to the likes of Facebook and Twitter – even if they are still able to remain anonymous to the general public.
In one night, I received 600 rape threats. It was probably more … I received thousands of comments from people saying ‘I wouldn’t even rape her’
“In one night, I received 600 rape threats. It was probably more but I stopped counting. To try to subvert that, I received thousands of comments from people saying ‘I wouldn’t even rape her’,” the Birmingham Yardley MP told the Cheltenham Science Festival.
She said that, to her, it was “water off a duck’s back” because she does not consider herself or her children to be in physical danger. “However, where it does worry me, and I think we have to do something about, is when it affects our democracy.
“I don’t think people should be allowed to be completely anonymous online any more. I don’t mind if people appear anonymous online for all sorts of really reasonable reasons.”
Phillips cited the example of a teacher in her constituency who wanted to speak out against government cuts in schools. “They want to be anonymous, but they wouldn’t mind not being anonymous to the provider and tell Facebook or Twitter who they are. But, to the public, they want to appear anonymous.