Jess Phillips, a British politician who recently launched a campaign against sexist online bullying, was victim to over 600 rape threats on Twitter.
The MP has played a significant part in the #ReclaimTheInternet campaign, which calls for people to share their views on sexist online bullying and draws inspiration from the Reclaim the Night marches where women walk the streets together at night to own the space.
After the campaign’s launch, Jess Phillips had a record number of mentions over the weekend talking about raping her – over 600. She has since talked to the BBC and criticised Twitter’s business model for allowing this behaviour.
“Until Twitter makes this sort of thing stop happening and stops accepting that this sort of dogpiling and mass bullying can happen, their business model is totally flawed. People who don’t like this feral side of the internet are just going to walk away.”
Instead of blocking the people making the threats, she has suggested that she will walk away from Twitter altogether given the sheer number she is receiving. She tweeted her shock about the whole situation.
Twitter has stated that they do not comment on individual cases for privacy reasons.
