Bait Account Q&A

 

What is a bait account?

                A bait account is a twitter account made by someone who opposes maps (an “anti-map,” or just an “anti”) who pretends to be a minor. The purpose of bait accounts is for antis to “bait” maps into flirting with them, into consenting to have nudes sent to them, or even into sharing CSAM/CSEM (child sexual abuse/exploitation material). The owners of bait accounts often target anti-contact maps (maps who are against sexual contact with minors), believing that no map could truly be anti-contact, and wanting to catch maps in hypocrisy.

How can I recognize a bait account?

Bait accounts are recognizable because they state that they are a young teen or child, and usually proclaim themselves to be pro-contact (supporting adults who have sexual or romantic contact with minors). They often say that they can consent, or worse, make the blanket statement that children can consent. They also like to make pro-contact statements like “love is love,” recognizable because not even the staunchest pro-contact maps actually talk like that. Sometimes bait accounts will mention that they sell nudes, or that they like to send nudes to adults – or they’ll just mention that they’re horny and talk about sex more than an actual minor would. These accounts often have cutesy PFPs and themes, and sometimes even type in an overly cutesy manner. uwu!

Bait accounts can also be overly edgy, like this user that proclaims she is a nazifur:

How do bait accounts harm children?

                Bait accounts influence actual minors to think that there is nothing wrong with being groomed and taken advantage of by adults. Impressionable minors consider bait accounts to be their actual peers; when an anti pretends to be a minor who says that they can consent, real minors may see the account and decide that they can consent, too. This can lead to actual minors entering into relationships, sexual or otherwise, with adults. In effect, adults who bait maps are the ones who are actually grooming children into being abused.

                Bait accounts also harm children by taking the focus away from real minors who think that they can consent to sex with adults. I’ve seen many maps exert considerable energy into trying to keep people who may or may not be real minors from entering, or continuing, unhealthy relationships. Anti-maps also worry about minors who think that they can consent. Bait accounts ensure that antis and maps alike focus their energies on the wrong people, leaving actual pro-contact minors to potentially be hurt while everyone focuses on trying to help bait accounts instead.

Does making a bait account and engaging with maps count as sexual harassment?

                Sexual harassment is defined (by the U.S. EEOC) as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other inappropriate sexual behavior. The behavior that most bait accounts play into absolutely falls into the category of “unwelcome sexual advances”; they are coming onto maps without permission, even knowing that their supposed young age would make most adults very uncomfortable with their sexual propositions.

Even if the owners of bait accounts don’t mean to engage in sexual harassment, which is questionable, it is obviously sexual harassment to badger someone else about sexual subjects. (Bait accounts, from my experience, come on very strong, pleading with maps to let the bait account send them nudes, and talking about sexual subjects without the maps’ consent.) Remember: if something would be sexual harassment coming from any account that’s not a bait account, it still counts as sexual harassment coming from a bait account.

I’m an anti and want to make a bait account, even after reading all this. Should I?

                Absolutely not. For one thing, twitter is saturated with bait accounts already. For some perspective, I recently went through my followers and blocked literally about a hundred bait accounts. There is nothing you can personally accomplish with a bait account that hundreds upon hundreds of other antis aren’t going to be able to accomplish already.

                Also, antis tend to be minors, and making a bait account could be very psychologically damaging – not to mention dangerous – for a minor, no matter how mature you think you are. Yes, the majority of maps don’t hurt children, but there are a few bad apples in every community. No minor should willingly put themselves in danger just to potentially get a screencap for a call-out post.

                And of course, it’s not healthy to go around sexually harassing people, not to mention counterproductive to convince minors that they can consent and take the focus away from real children who are in danger. Yes, even if you really, really think you’re in the right.

I’m a map and I think that a bait account messaged me. What should I do?

                Report and block. If you must engage with them, remember that there is a chance that the account is not actually a bait account, and that you could be really talking to a minor who thinks that they can consent. Like I said above, many antis are minors, so you may still be talking to someone underage even if you are convinced that the account is bait.

I always treat these accounts like they’re real minors, telling them before I block them that it’s inappropriate and dangerous for them to be acting the way that they’re acting. I ask if their parents know what they’re doing online. Finally, I tell them in no uncertain terms that I’m not going to give them what they want, whether this is a flirtation, a relationship, shared CSAM/CSEM, or an agreement for them to send me nudes. They give up after this.

I noticed that some accounts that seem like bait accounts are following a map account. What should I do?

                Again, report and block. Remember that there are very, very few actual minors on twitter who think that they can consent and who are involved with the map community, and that the accounts you’re concerned about are likely bait. If you are extremely concerned about the safety of an alleged minor, you can always contact the owners of the bait accounts directly.

                But above all, do not make a callout post for a map based solely on the fact that accounts that seem like bait accounts are following them. Yes, this is really a thing that happened, and to me specifically! I’ll write more about that incident later.

 

Screenshots thanks to twitter users: @GlitchedHarmony, @Emperor_Of_None, @PredatorHunterL