Sexual Assault Is a Free Speech Issue

Backchannel Latest · Ej Dickson · last updated October 20, 2026 – 2:38 AM

Mary Anne Franks has spent years fighting against online abuse. When people are abused with impunity, she says, the message becomes “We do not care about women’s voices.”

It is a testament to the deeply misogynistic nature of social media that, shortly after the horrifying sexual misconduct allegations against seven Cornell frat members made news last month, people on the internet immediately started trying to dox the victim.

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