Controversial Reddit communities: Difference between revisions

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{{See also|Doxing|Internet privacy}}

''Gawker's'' outing of Brutsch as u/violentacrez led to contentious discussion about [[Internet privacy|privacy]] and [[anonymity on the internet]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Hill |first=Kashmir |title=Why The Internet Cool Kids Think Gawker Outing Reddit's Violentacrez Is The 'Best Story About The Web' This Year |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2012/10/15/why-the-internet-cool-kids-think-gawker-outing-reddits-violentacrez-is-the-best-story-about-the-web-this-year/ |access-date=October 31, 2012 |newspaper=[[Forbes]] |date=October 15, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102130649/http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2012/10/15/why-the-internet-cool-kids-think-gawker-outing-reddits-violentacrez-is-the-best-story-about-the-web-this-year/ |archive-date=November 2, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> Some argued that that outing, or "doxing", was necessary to draw attention to objectionable content so it could be removed. Others claimed that fear of doxing and public retribution impeded people from exercising their right to legal [[Internet freedom|free speech online]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Ngak |first=Chenda |title=Reddit, Gawker clash raises questions over inappropriate content and privacy |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/reddit-gawker-clash-raises-questions-over-inappropriate-content-and-privacy/ |access-date=October 31, 2012 |newspaper=[[CBS News]] |date=October 17, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107003811/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-57534542/reddit-gawker-clash-raises-questions-over-inappropriate-content-and-privacy/ |archive-date=November 7, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=NoTears>{{cite news |last=Poeter |first=Damon |title=Shed No Tears for Violentacrez |url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2411001,00.asp |access-date=October 31, 2012 |newspaper=[[PC Magazine]] |date=October 15, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018210146/http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2411001,00.asp |archive-date=October 18, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Writing for ''[[The Guardian]]'', [[Jude Doyle]] (then known as Sady Doyle) argued that certain doxings may be justified, comparing ''Gawker's'' article to the outing of [[Suicide of Amanda Todd|Amanda Todd]]'s alleged [[Blackmail|blackmailer]]. On the other hand, he argued that by engaging in "[[sensationalism]]" at the expense of cultural reform, doxing may unduly focus attention on individuals without confronting the underlying problems.<ref>{{cite news |last=Doyle |first=Sady |title=Outing online sexual predators is a sensationalist stopgap |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/oct/17/outing-online-sexual-predators-gawker-anonymous |access-date=October 31, 2012 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=October 17, 2012 |___location=London |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131031140544/http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/oct/17/outing-online-sexual-predators-gawker-anonymous |archive-date=October 31, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> In ''[[PC Magazine]]'', Damon Poeter stated that while he had defended protecting anonymity on the Internet, he supported Brutsch being outed and felt the doxing was justifiable, as he thought the various subreddits that u/violentacrez contributed to were serious [[Invasion of privacy|invasions of privacy]] regardless of legality.<ref name=NoTears />