Sexual Assault Is a Free Speech Issue
Legal scholar Mary Anne Franks argues that the doxing of sexual assault survivors is a free speech issue that silences women and undermines physical safety. She advocates for a reframing of how online abuse is treated under constitutional law.
Why it matters
The intersection of digital privacy, online harassment, and First Amendment rights is a critical debate in modern legal and social discourse.
Over the past few weeks, right-wing provocateurs and random troll accounts alike have attempted to publicly identify Jane Doe, the anonymous former Cornell student who accused seven Chi Phi fraternity members of sexually assaulting her in 2024. The drive to publicize her name and other personal details is stomach-turning—but according to Mary Anne Franks, in the context of the history of social media and sexual assault, it’s all too common.
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