On April 16th, an anonymous 'cybersecurity researcher' published an article about how many lawful MAP sites share a common infrastructural backbone. This led to another article in France's largest newspaper, written by journalist Arnaud Wajdzik, on April 21st. The news story alleged that the shared backbone represents a "pedocriminal ecosystem", quoting the thoughts of France's High Commissioner for Children.

Mu and the other sites using the shared infrastructure are all lawful. We have a legal right to freedom of expression, peer support, and general camaraderie, no matter how much online bullies would like to see our sites wiped off the internet. These are basic liberties that we cannot enjoy in person in our local communities, even when we would very much like to come out as MAPs. And crucially, we will continue to exist, with the same sexual orientation, even if the sites are somehow shut down for some time.

Statements made in the article are very much defamatory, accusing us of criminality where none exists, and this defamation is intentional given later statements that our sites do not violate any laws. Furthermore, the journalist's allegation that our sites "recruit" users for darknet enterprises is not only patently false, but a complete misunderstanding of what the cybersecurity researcher actually claimed in his article.

While the journalist has much to answer for with regard to his sloppy and libelous work, we take greater issue with France's High Commissioner for Children, who demanded a "systemic” response, capable of “tracing the entire chain, from the username to the infrastructure.” Tracking down and harassing people engaged in lawful discussion, no matter the topic, is an outrageously authoritarian threat. We ask what they are going to do after they kick down someone's door for nothing more than talking about their sexuality with others, and urge any victims of such harassment to contact us immediately.

In response to the statement that teenagers are eligible for participation on the near-abandoned French forum La Garçonnière, we point out the reality that most MAPs realize their orientation while they are still minors themselves. These young MAPs cannot safely get support from the community, or from professionals who will likely report them even absent of any criminality. The fact that they seek out such resources ought to be taken as a scathing rebuke of how France, and the world in general, relates to vulnerable young MAPs.

Mu's Forum does controversially allows minors to join, including those who do not claim to be MAPs. In the vast majority of cases, these 'minors' will be adults role-playing as a kid for whatever reason. Still, we have strict rules requiring communication to remain beyond reproach, and regardless of sexual orientation we see no reason why public interaction between adults and supposed minors should be an issue.

On his personal blog, Mu co-founder Brian Ribbon vows that any action taken by the French government will lead to aggressive retaliation, in this case by disseminating French-language articles to help pedophiles in France find work and social opportunities with children.

For further comment, please reach out to contact@brianribbon.com.