“I Unfortunately Have The Equivalent Of 5 PhDs In Twitter Harassment”

Well before most people had given much thought to the problem of harassment on social networks, Brianna Wu became an expert on it, in the worst possible way. The CEO of video game company Giant Spacekat, she became a primary target of Gamergate–the loose-knit campaign by trolls against prominent women in the gaming industry–in 2014. Wu was threatened with rape and death on Twitter and Facebook and had her personal information doxed on 8chan, prompting her to flee her home. Gamergate’s tactics presaged those later used by some members of the alt-right in ways that are still unfolding, and for Wu, the abuse has never entirely dissipated.