The much discussed and talked about anonymous Instagram account Diet Madison Avenue, which solicited reports of sexual misconduct in the advertising industry could be made public through a defamation lawsuit. The account also published the names of alleged harassers and was much discussed in the advertising industry. Now the creators’ have deleted the account and a man who claims his name was published by Diet Madison Avenue is proceeding with a defamation lawsuit to make public the creators’ name.  

The lawsuit has come to the limelight especially when movements like MeToo have gained popularity and more and more people have come forward to reveal their sexual harassment stories. Questions are also being raised against these digital forums highlighting the need to maintain the anonymity of the user's personal identity. The man who filed the suit has already lost his job as the account published his name in the alleged harasser's list.

Diet Madison Avenue, which said it was run by 17 people, urged those who worked in advertising to send their stories of harassment, promising anonymity and offering resources to victims. Through Instagram Stories, which disappear after 24 hours, the account called out agencies and published the names of more than a dozen alleged harassers. Several agencies dismissed men whose names appeared on Diet Madison Avenue.

The account’s snarky tone — photos of some the accused were manipulated so that the men appeared to have pigs’ noses — had a polarizing effect. Many people, particularly younger workers in the advertising industry, lauded the account for exposing the misdeeds of powerful men, but others said it was tantamount to trial by social media. The account had more than 20,000 followers before it was deleted last month.