Doxxing is the act of publicly releasing someone‘s personal information without their consent. It involves finding and publishing private details to harass, intimidate, or embarrass the victim. Doxxing is a form of online harassment that often leads to further abuse.
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll cover everything you need to know about doxxing, including what it is, how it works, real-world examples, whether it‘s illegal, and most importantly – how to avoid becoming a victim.
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What Exactly Is Doxxing?
Doxxing involves collecting pieces of someone‘s private, identifying information and then posting them online without permission. The goal is to reveal the person‘s real-world identity, also known as "doxing" them.
The term "dox" comes from documents or docs. Doxxers find documents, records, or other files containing personal data and share them publicly.
How Does Doxxing Work?
Doxxers use various tactics to uncover private details about their victims:
- Searching public records and databases like property records or voter registration info
- Scouring social media profiles for clues about identity
- Hacking into accounts and services to access private communications and documents
- Purchasing personal details from the dark web
- Sending phishing emails to trick the victim into revealing info
Once obtained, the doxxer publishes the information online on forums, websites, or social media. Posts and messages often direct abuse at the victim or encourage others to harass the target.
What Information Do Doxxers Target?
Doxxers seek out any personal details that can identify and locate someone in the real world. Information frequently exposed in a doxxing includes:
- Full legal name
- Home address
- Phone numbers
- Email and social media accounts
- Employer, school, or other organizational affiliations
- Photos of the person or their home/family
- Financial information like bank details or credit card numbers
- Biographical details like date of birth or family members‘ names
In short, any private or identifying info is fair game for doxxers.
What Is Swatting?
Swatting is a dangerous offshoot of doxxing. The harassers use someone‘s personal details to file false police reports about violent emergencies at the target‘s home.
Swatters will claim that hostages were taken, bombs planted, or shots fired. These fabricated scenarios are intended to provoke an armed SWAT team response to the victim‘s house.
Swatting is an extremely hazardous form of harassment for both the victim and law enforcement. Innocent people have been injured or even killed in swatting attacks.
Real-Life Examples of Doxxing
Doxxing happens regularly to high-profile individuals but can also target private citizens:
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In 2020, three LAPD officers were doxxed during the George Floyd protests. Their home addresses and other personal info appeared online.
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During Gamergate in 2014, feminist activists and opponents of the movement were doxxed en masse. Both sides published personal details of the other.
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In 2019, a legislator‘s leaked browser history was linked to their name and workplace after a local reporter connected the dots from an anonymous post.
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Schools often contend with student data breaches. A breach at a Danish college lead to the release of students‘ exam scores, IDs, and disciplinary records.
These examples show that doxxing affects individuals from all walks of life. Anyone active online can become a target.
Is Doxxing Illegal?
The legality of doxxing depends on how the personal information was obtained:
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If the doxxer used illegal methods like hacking accounts, it can be prosecuted as a crime such as fraud, identity theft, extortion, or computer misconduct.
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If the data was gathered from legal public records or social media, doxxing may fall into a legal gray area. Free speech laws can protect the disclosure of some public info.
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However, doxxing can still violate civil laws against defamation, copyright, stalking, or harassment, depending on the situation. Victims can pursue legal action for damages and to demand removal of private information.
Since doxxing laws remain inconsistent, victims should always report incidents to the police and legal counsel. Lawmakers continue working to refine legislation to address doxxing and swatting.
How to Avoid Being Doxxed
Once private information appears online, it can be difficult to contain. Whenever possible, it‘s best to take preventative steps to avoid getting doxxed in the first place.
Be Cautious Sharing Personal Details Online
Avoid oversharing personal information online, even with people you trust. Once something is online, it can be easily captured and spread. Monitor children‘s online activity as well to protect their privacy.
Use Different Usernames and Passwords Everywhere
Having one username or password across multiple sites allows doxxers to easily connect the dots to your identity. Make all usernames and passwords unique to limit exposure.
Update Privacy Settings
Review the privacy settings on all social media profiles and accounts. Make anything with personal info private or friends/family-only. Restrict visibility of posts, photos, friends list, and biographical details.
Use a VPN When on Public WiFi
Public WiFi makes it easy for snoops to intercept your traffic. A VPN encrypts your connection and masks your IP address to protect your browsing.
Remove Personal Details from Public Profiles
Scrub online resumes, professional profiles, people search sites, and anywhere else your personal info may appear publicly. Opt out of data broker sites if possible.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication
Two-factor authentication adds an extra login step like a code sent to your phone. This prevents easy account access even if your password does get leaked.
Invest in Identity Theft Protection
Identity theft protection services send alerts about suspicious activity associated with your personal details. This allows quick intervention in case of a breach.
Use Antivirus Software
Antivirus software blocks against malware and phishing attempts – common tactics used by doxxers to illegally obtain private data.
How to Tell If You Can Be Easily Doxxed
To understand your vulnerability, invest some time researching just how easy it is to find your personal details online:
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Google yourself to see what comes up in search results
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Perform a "reverse image search" on your photos to see where they appear online
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Search your name on data broker and people search sites
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See if you show up on sites listing information from data breaches
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Review all social media profiles for oversharing of personal details
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Search online resumes and professional profiles
Take note of what sensitive information is out there that could potentially expose your identity and location if put together.
What To Do If You‘ve Been Doxxed
If you discover you‘ve been doxxed, stay calm and take these steps:
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Document everything – take screenshots of the doxxing posts before they can be deleted. Note usernames, dates, and platforms.
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Report the content immediately to the host website/platform and request removal.
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Contact your local police department to file a report. Provide your documentation.
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Notify your bank and credit card companies if financial information was compromised. Consider freezing credit reports as a precaution.
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Change all account passwords, increase privacy settings, and enable two-factor authentication everywhere possible.
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Consider investing in credit monitoring and identity theft protection services to watch for signs of fraud.
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Disengage with the doxxer altogether – don‘t respond or retaliate as it may encourage further abuse.
The Bottom Line
Doxxing is a serious form of privacy violation and online harassment. While some information may be legally public, that doesn‘t make it ethical to expose details about someone without consent.
There are many precautions individuals and families can take to reduce their risk online. However, doxxers are often adept at uncovering information. Being doxxed can happen before you even realize your data is out there.
Thoroughly documenting and reporting any doxxing is crucial. Doxxing often straddles a fine legal line, but victims may have recourse depending on the circumstances. Protecting your identity and accounts after a doxxing attack is also vital to avoid further abuse or fraud.
