Washington Post journalist Taylor Lorenz has caused a heated debate among social media users after publishing the identity and revealing the address of a person who runs a popular conservative Twitter account.
Lorenz wrote the article on Tuesday, introducing all of her readers to the previously anonymous woman behind the Libs of TikTok account, which reposted various videos to poke fun at liberals.
As a result of the article, which initially hyperlinked to the woman’s real estate business and supposed home address, she moved to a “safe location.” The link is now absent from the article.
WOULD TAYLOR LORENZ CONSIDER THIS ‘HARASSMENT’?
“Words cannot express how appreciative I am of the support I’m receiving right now,” she wrote on Twitter. “I’m confident we will get through this and come out even stronger. Grateful for all the thoughts and prayers.”
Words cannot express how appreciative I am of the support I’m receiving right now. Thankfully I’m currently holed up in a safe location. I’m confident we will get through this and come out even stronger. Grateful for all the thoughts and prayers ❤️
— Libs of Tik Tok (@libsoftiktok) April 19, 2022
Lorenz previously went public with her own qualms against online harassment, getting emotional in a television segment on the subject.
“I have severe PTSD from this,” Lorenz said at the time.
“The WaPo article by Taylor Lorenz originally linked to the real estate license for the person behind the Libs of TikTok account— the link listed the person’s name, real estate license number, possible physical address, etc,” the Washington Examiner’s Jerry Dunleavy tweeted. “WaPo only removed the link after being called out on it.”
The WaPo article by Taylor Lorenz originally linked to the real estate license for the person behind the Libs of TikTok account— the link listed the person’s name, real estate license number, possible physical address, etc. WaPo only removed the link after being called out on it.
— Jerry Dunleavy (@JerryDunleavy) April 19, 2022
Journalist Glenn Greenwald called Lorenz a bully that claimed to be bullied.
“What’s the new journalistic principle being applied?” Greenwald tweeted. “Is it now permissible for journalists to investigate and expose the real identity of any anonymous social media user? Or is it just permissible if the anonymous social media user has a certain kind of politics?”
What’s the new journalistic principle being applied? Is it now permissible for journalists to investigate and expose the real identity of any anonymous social media user? Or is it just permissible if the anonymous social media user has a certain kind of politics?
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) April 19, 2022
“Taylor Lorenz and the Washington Post are intending to incite violence against a woman for the crime of operating an anonymous twitter account, WaPo and Lorenz know that Libs of TikToks faces death threats from ANTIFA,” right-wing commentator Mike Cernovich wrote. “This can only be described as terrorism.”
Taylor Lorenz and the Washington Post are intending to incite violence against a woman for the crime of operating an anonymous twitter account, WaPo and Lorenz know that Libs of TikToks faces death threats from ANTIFA.
This can only be described as terrorism. pic.twitter.com/IHL3RAQflm
— Cernovich (@Cernovich) April 19, 2022
“This isn’t journalism,” reporter Jack Posobiec wrote. “This is doxxing and smearing of @libsoftiktok by the billionaire-controlled Bezos Post.”
This isn’t journalism. This is doxxing and smearing of @libsoftiktok by the billionaire-controlled Bezos Post https://t.co/uEtuA1Q61H
— Jack Posobiec ☦️ (@JackPosobiec) April 19, 2022
“Taylor Lorenz is a terrible journalist and worse human,” Ben Shapiro wrote. “Targeting a Twitter account that literally just posts Leftists owning themselves because that account damages the Left is pure Lorenz.”
Taylor Lorenz is a terrible journalist and worse human. Targeting a Twitter account that literally just posts Leftists owning themselves because that account damages the Left is pure Lorenz.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) April 19, 2022
“Guys, we have to stop billionaires like Elon Musk from taking over companies like Twitter because they won’t operate those companies like Jeff Bezos does WaPo, which unleashes Taylor Lorenz on the families of anonymous Twitter accounts.”
Guys, we have to stop billionaires like Elon Musk from taking over companies like Twitter because they won’t operate those companies like Jeff Bezos does WaPo, which unleashes Taylor Lorenz on the families of anonymous Twitter accounts.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) April 19, 2022
“Taylor Lorenz just last week was crying about being traumatized from people on the internet criticizing her,” podcaster Matt Walsh wrote. “Now she’s doxxing an anonymous account. Lorenz is a typical crybully scumbag. She deserves all the backlash coming her way after this. I hope it makes her cry again.”
Taylor Lorenz just last week was crying about being traumatized from people on the internet criticizing her. Now she’s doxxing an anonymous account. Lorenz is a typical crybully scumbag. She deserves all the backlash coming her way after this. I hope it makes her cry again. https://t.co/V3QYeHqZwd
— Dr. Matt Walsh, Women’s Studies Scholar (@MattWalshBlog) April 19, 2022
“Wasn’t this psycho on tv 2 weeks ago actually crying about the exact type of behavior that seems to be her exact business model,” Donald Trump Jr. wrote. “If only she tried to report on real bad actors rather than a random personalities on social… but we know that won’t happen.”
Wasn’t this psycho on tv 2 weeks ago actually crying about the exact type of behavior that seems to be her exact business model. If only she tried to report on real bad actors rather than a random personalities on social… but we know that won’t happen. https://t.co/VBHdCw8Yct
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) April 19, 2022
Meanwhile, others supported the overall reporting on the movement.
“You will get a lot of backlash on this by people whose primary source of joy is hate watching videos of drag queens, but thank you for writing it,” influencer Matt Bernstein tweeted.
you will get a lot of backlash on this by people whose primary source of joy is hate watching videos of drag queens, but thank you for writing it.
— matt (@mattxiv) April 19, 2022
“This story below is essential reading. Understanding the Right Wing Smear Machine and the malice that drives it is essential,” reporter Steve Schmidt wrote. “Apparently, the use of good old fashioned shoe leather journalism in pursuit of facts has given great offense to [Glenn Greenwald], one of Putins most useful idiots and predictable faucets of crocodile tears when right wing dishonesty, malice and intimidation is exposed.”
2/ most useful idiots and predictable faucets of crocodile tears when right wing dishonesty, malice and intimidation is exposed. This is a story about how Chaya Raichik became a powerful figure in the Right Wing Extremist Movement by creating a social media mob that harasses
— Steve Schmidt (@SteveSchmidtSES) April 19, 2022
“There’s a real story about how @libsoftiktok by simply posting videos became objectively one of the most important conservative activists in the entire country,” news anchor Saagar Enjeti tweeted. “Taylor Lorenz refuses to engage with the actual content/why it resonates and chooses to try and destroy her instead.”
There’s a real story about how @libsoftiktok by simply posting videos became objectively one of the most important conservative activists in the entire country
Taylor Lorenz refuses to engage with the actual content/why it resonates and chooses to try and destroy her instead
— Saagar Enjeti (@esaagar) April 19, 2022
Lorenz also has a thread detailing her article pinned on her Twitter account as of this report. She even tweeted out the woman’s name. There are a limited number of users that are allowed to comment on the thread.
“Taylor Lorenz is an accomplished and diligent journalist whose reporting methods comport entirely with the Washington Post’s professional standards,” the publication’s senior managing editor, Cameron Barr, said in a statement later Tuesday. “[The Libs of TikTok Twitter account] has had significant impact on public discourse and her identity has become public knowledge on social media. We did not publish or link to any details about her personal life.”
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The Washington Post did not respond to requests for comment from the Washington Examiner.

