College student’s nonconsensual video sparks nationwide online harassment campaign

Maddie Kowalski, a sophomore at the University of Florida, learned that a nonconsensual video of her had been posted on X by an anonymous user, quickly spreading to Snapchat and YikYak. The video combined footage from a fraternity house known as “Fort” and a separate encounter, and its viral spread prompted a torrent of online abuse, including doxxing of her family and threats of violence. The harassment was driven by a loosely connected network of anonymous “burner” accounts on X, many of which are linked to college sports fandom and sometimes to fraternity members.

Gainesville police have begun investigating the accounts, noting that some accessed the platform using university IP addresses. The incident underscores the challenges of addressing coordinated cyber-harassment on platforms with limited moderation and the broader cultural issues surrounding the burnerverse’s targeting of young women.