Last year, my online life imploded after the Ukip former leader Nigel Farage, shared with his 1.2 million Twitter followers a criticism I had made of him.
The abuse that was sent by his fans was shocking. I was receiving messages on Twitter every few seconds, thousands and thousands of people — almost entirely men — telling me I was a “Jewish c*nt” who deserved to die/be raped/be put in a gas chamber.
I was sent Holocaust images and antisemitic propaganda, and images of women being hurt or wounded. His followers said they’d find out where I live and rape me, and sent me outright death threats.
Though I could lock (make private) my Twitter account and mute the messages, these people then moved on to other online platforms, and I had to change my name on Facebook, lock my Instagram account, and redirect my email due to the barrage of hatred.
This went on for over a week, first from supporters of Farage, and then by supporters of Donald Trump who’d caught wind of an easy online pile-on to a Jewish woman; the sheer bombardment and frequency of receiving so much hatred across multiple social media services left me a shaking wreck.
Zoe Margolis is an author, writer and film critic
