{"id":291760,"date":"2024-11-12T18:09:10","date_gmt":"2024-11-12T12:39:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/?p=291760"},"modified":"2024-11-12T18:09:10","modified_gmt":"2024-11-12T12:39:10","slug":"who-is-behind-hphobiawatch-the-account-that-doxxed-journalist-rana-ayyub","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/who-is-behind-hphobiawatch-the-account-that-doxxed-journalist-rana-ayyub\/","title":{"rendered":"Who is behind @HPhobiaWatch, the account that doxxed journalist Rana Ayyub?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Investigative journalist Rana Ayyub was recently subjected to a vicious doxxing attack by a Right-wing Twitter (X) handle, @HPhobiaWatch<\/a>. Her number was made public in a tweet by the handle at 1:15 am on November 8, following which she faced incessant phone calls, video calls and lewd messages throughout the rest of the night.<\/p>\n

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I have lived a nightmare. At around 1 am tonight, this right wing handle posted my number on twitter, asked his followers to text me. My phone did not stop ringing through the night. Video calls, obscene Whats app msgs. Hello @MumbaiPolice<\/a> @NCWIndia<\/a>, this was targeted harassment pic.twitter.com\/3LOc1BaO1Z<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) November 8, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Speaking to Alt News, Ayyub expressed her disgust and frustration at what transpired. “Is this how women must feel safe in the country? We go on candlelight marches when women are sexually assaulted in India. These heinous acts take place because authorities look the other way as women are publicly harassed,” she told us. She also mentioned that under the tweet that doxxed her, @HPhobiaWatch’s followers had posted screenshots of the late-night texts that were sent to Ayyub.<\/p>\n

In February 2024, Alt News published an elaborate report<\/a> on a certain trend of online vigilantism spearheaded by the Right-wing handle called @TheSquind. In our report, we investigated how the handle, alongside others, ‘exposed’ close to a hundred Hindu women, including minors, who were involved with Muslim men.<\/p>\n

This report uncovers the link between these two accounts (@HPhobiaWatch and @TheSquind)\u00a0and shows how the man who doxxed Rana Ayyub has a history of targeting and harassing women online.<\/p>\n

The Link Between @TheSquind and @HPhobiaWatch<\/h4>\n

On December 28, 2023, @TheSquind tweeted to inform their followers that the handle, @HPhobiaWatch, (this is the one that doxxed Ayyub), would serve as the admin’s backup account.
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Further, on March 12, 2024, a tweet from @HPhobiaWatch suggested it would serve as the admin’s primary account for some time.<\/p>\n

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Who is Behind these Accounts?<\/h4>\n

The admin behind @TheSquind came under fire in January 2024 for morphing an obscene image over that of a\u00a0 Thanthai Periyar statue. In the original image<\/a>, DMK politician Udhayanidhi Stalin is seen handing the statue to Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair. Following the tweet, an FIR was filed against the admin of @TheSquind.<\/p>\n

Between February and March this year, several prominent Right-wing accounts tweeted that the Tamil Nadu police had reached Delhi to arrest the admin behind Squint Neon and had later arrested the admin’s brother from Bihar. Right-wing influencer Ankit Jain or @indiantweeter claimed that both @TheSquind’s admin and his brother had been ‘saved’ by the BJP leadership.<\/p>\n