Thursday, May 2
Shadow

Podcast: When threatening private messages go public

A group of men sent graphic and threatening messages on Facebook. What happened when they were exposed?

They were meant to be private, and the people posting them considered them “jokes”. But when female students at the University of Warwick found out about hundreds of violent and obscene messages – some of them directly naming themselves and their friends – they were horrified and scared.

We heard from the women who were named in the group chat, and who alleged that a later university investigation fell short of their expectations. The messages came from closed social media groups – and it was a social media campaign which led to a public outcry which changed the direction of the case.

Presenter: Jonathan Griffin
Reporter: Larissa Kennelly

Photo caption: Hands holding a mobile phone / Photo credit: BBC

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BBC Trending is the BBC’s social media investigation team, bringing you in-depth reporting on our online lives.