Sydney Mum received swastikas and called a cancer after name posted on ‘doxxing’ list

A Sydney woman is terrified for her infant daughter and scared to leave her home after her personal social media details were published online by pro-Palestine activists including feminist commentator Clementine Ford.

• Doxxing explained: what is it?

A Sydney woman is terrified for her one-year-old daughter and scared to leave her home after her personal social media details were published online by pro-Palestine activists including feminist commentator Clementine Ford.

Blogger Talia Emsalem said that she has been deluged with swastika-covered messages calling her a cancer and referring to her daughter after her photo and details were among hundreds posted online in a spreadsheet.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has now thrown his government’s support behind a proposal to make the publication of personal details online, often referred to as “doxxing”, illegal.

“The idea that in Australia someone should be targeted because of their religion, because of their faith, whether they be Jewish, or Muslim, or Hindu or Catholic – it’s just completely unacceptable,” he said.

Talia Emsalem with her daughter and partner Levi Adams. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Ms Emsalem said the publication of the details of more than 600 Jewish creatives and artists involved in a WhatsApp group set up in the wake of the October 7 attack in Israel had demonised Jewish people in Australian society and left her afraid to go out.

“Every day since has been consumed with dealing with the fallout. I don’t sleep, I worry all the time, it’s thrown my life upside down,” she said.

“The lived experience of persecution simply for being Jewish is in our bones, and seeing my name and face on a list like that immediately triggered the dread that I know my ancestors have felt before.

“I was devastated that we are here again, terrified for the safety of my child,” she said.

Her partner Levi Adams said the impact of the unwanted exposure was “engulfing her whole life” and left him scared for their safety.

“I feel scared for Talia and Blue to go anywhere without me. I’m scared for their safety and want to protect Talia from all this, but I’m helpless,” he said.

Clementine Ford leaked the details to here 239,000 Facebook followers.

Ms Ford re-posted the transcript of the leaked chat to her 239,000 Facebook followers and said she did so because it showed “how co-ordinated efforts are to silence Palestinian activists and their allies”.

She did not respond to requests for comment on Tuesday but has said Mr Albanese’s intention to strengthen laws on hate speech was a “fixation on rewriting narratives” to hide the truth and “conceal Israel’s genocide of Palestinian people in Gaza.”

After the details of the WhatsApp group were shared by pro-Palestine groups a number of those targeted in Melbourne to close down businesses and move house. Victoria Police are now investigating.

Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese has thrown his support behind making doxxing illegal. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Another victim in Sydney, who did not want to be named, told The Daily Telegraph she had received a number of threats since her details were published.

“One woman messaged me and said she wanted to spit in my face,” she said. “It is absolutely shocking that this is happening in Australia today.”

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said the doxxing victims were “living through a nightmare” as a result of people maliciously compiling “Jew lists”.

“They are fearful for their personal safety, for their families and their careers. Their only crime has been to enter a WhatsApp chat with other Jewish Australians in their industry who shared their concerns about soaring hatred following the Hamas attacks,” he said. “They want people to get hurt and they must feel the force of the law for what they’ve done to their fellow Australians.”

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