Utah now has a “snitch form” for reporting trans people using the bathroom

Utah has unveiled a complaint form to report transgender people who are using the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity in public schools, which many are dubbing a “snitch line.”

The snitch line — entitled, “Alleged Government Violations of Utah Code 63G Chapter 31 Distinctions on the Basis of Sex” — was formed in response to the passing of a transgender bathroom ban in the state earlier this year. House Bill 0257, also known as “Sex-Based Designations for Privacy, Anti-Bullying, and Women’s Opportunities,” bans trans people from using ‘privacy spaces’ such as changing rooms and restrooms within public schools, and changing rooms in government spaces as well. If government entities or schools don’t abide by HB 0257’s restrictions, they can face fines of up to $10,000 per day.

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The law does not apply to private businesses such as restaurants. It contains no legal stipulations for transgender people using their preferred bathroom within government facilities specifically, according to the ACLU. The law provides exemptions for trans people who changed the gender markers on their birth certificates and other legal documents. However, this exemption enters murky legal territory if the person was born in a state that prohibits such changes.

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The so-called snitch form is hosted on a website run by the Office of the State Auditor, and lists violations, including trans people using a public school bathroom that aligns with their gender identity, and instances of trans people being on their preferred sports teams in either a governmental or educational context.

The form itself includes five questions, each soliciting details about things such as what government employees are involved, how the respondent knows about this event, and a description of how the trans person used their preferred bathroom. Only the last question is required; the rest are optional.

The form allows people to submit their answers anonymously by simply typing in “anonymous” for the required contact information boxes, something that has encouraged troll responses. Pranksters have reported on characters from 2007 animated film The Bee Movie, false allegations against anti-trans public officials, reports on animal genitalia, and references to various memes.

The snitch line began to buffer due to the constant bombardment of trolls, according to journalist Ari Drennen of Media Matters. Samantha Cole of 404 Media even trolled the form, submitting an image of a sassy white cat sitting at a dinner table.

Twitter users discovered that the database behind the form is hosted on a public Google cloud console bucket. This allows users to see all the submissions sent over to the site, though without names and contact information.

Utah’s form is not the first of its kind, as there have been numerous snitch forms for social issues created in the past. Last year, Missouri released a tip line for gender-affirming care that was taken down within a month because of trolls. Earlier this year, Indiana released one that was flooded with memes. A Virginia tip line against teachers who taught “critical race theory” faced similar results.

State Auditor John Dougall told 404 Media, “The Utah Office of the State Auditor is tasked with accepting allegations of certain illegal activity. Any concerns or complaints about the associated underlying public policy and statutory requirements should be addressed to members of the Utah Legislature.”

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