What Is Doxing? Understanding and Prevention

You've probably heard the term "doxxing" thrown around in the media, but what you may not know is that this word can apply to multiple situations, even some that aren't on the internet. 

So, what is doxing, how do we avoid it, and is there anything that we can do? 

Read on to find out more!

Understanding Doxing

Doxing is the act of exposing someone’s private information online without their consent. The term comes from “dropping dox,” which refers to releasing documents that reveal personal details. This malicious act is often carried out by hackers or individuals seeking personal revenge, political ends, or to cause harm.

Doxing usually involves gathering personally identifiable information, such as home addresses, phone numbers, and workplace details, and sharing it publicly. Attackers may collect this data from social media, leaked documents, or other online sources. Once exposed, victims can face harassment, threats, or even real-world danger.

What makes doxing dangerous is that it removes a person’s control over their private information. Even if details are publicly available, sharing them with harmful intent crosses an ethical and legal line. Understanding doxing is the first step in protecting yourself online. Being mindful of what you share and strengthening your privacy settings can help reduce risks.

There are a lot of reasons that people dox other people and organizations, including:

• Activism
• Extortion
• Shaming
• Personal vendettas
• Vigilante causes

It doesn't really matter why someone gets doxxed, but what does matter is how the data was retrieved by the inflicting individual. 

Lots of personal information is available to the general public online through sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and other social media sites. It's also possible to do a simple Google search and find other data such as previous names, addresses, phone numbers, and information about relatives or people who share the same name.

Some information used for doxing is more difficult to retrieve and includes data such as:

• Criminal records
• Social Security numbers
• Private messages such as mail, texts, or emails
• Personal photos

Deciding what is and what isn't doxxing isn't tricky as there's usually malicious intent involved, which frequently includes harassment. It's possible for anyone to be a victim of doxxing, but celebrities, journalists, politicians, and public figures are frequent targets.

How to Prevent Doxing

So now the question is: how to prevent doxing? 

The best method is not to provide personal details that you wouldn’t want spreading around online. 

But thats not always possible. Right? What about eCommerce sites like Amazon?

This guideline is especially true when you're using social media sites where your data is often public until you adjust security settings.

To protect yourself from this type of attack, here are some practical tips that can help you avoid being a victim of doxxing. 

1. Keep your personal information private.

Whenever possible, avoid sharing your personal information on public sites or in public meetings. This includes your full name, address, phone number, email address, Social Security or other government-issued numbers, and financial account numbers. 

If you must disclose this information online to create an account for example, consider using a pseudonym or alias.

2. Protect all of your online accounts with strong passwords.

Protecting your online accounts with strong passwords is one of the most important steps to prevent doxxing. Be sure to choose passwords that are at least 12 characters long, and include a mix of upper- and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. 

Also, make sure your passwords aren’t easily guessed or related to personal information such as birthdays or family names. 

Change your passwords regularly and never reuse the same password on multiple sites.

3. Use two-factor authentication whenever possible.

Two-factor authentication (also known as 2FA) provides an extra layer of security that requires users to provide an additional form of verification when logging into a site. 

This can be in the form of a code sent to your email or phone, or using biometric technology such as fingerprints or facial recognition. 

Whenever possible, enable two-factor authentication on all of your accounts to add an extra layer of protection against doxxing attacks.

4. Avoid unnecessary online postings and comments. 

It is important to think carefully before you post anything online. Some information we share can be used to identify us or other people. 

Be mindful of the postings and comments you make on websites, even if it seems harmless. 

Think about what kind of information you are sharing and how it could be used against you.

5. Review your privacy settings on all platforms regularly.

It is important to be aware of the current privacy policies of websites you frequent and the settings available. Many sites have options for private accounts or more restrictive settings that let you choose who can see your posts. 

Make sure to check those settings regularly, especially if the site updates its privacy policies. 

Pay attention to the kinds of information people are asking you for when making comments and take extra caution with posting any sensitive personal or financial information online.

Responding to Being Doxed

Being doxed can feel overwhelming, but acting quickly can help you regain control. The first step is to preserve evidence of the doxing. Take screenshots of any abusive content, including posts, messages, and threats. If the doxer shared your directory information (like your home address or phone number), document where it appears online.

Next, submit takedown requests to platforms where your personal details have been posted. Many social media sites and websites have policies against online harassment and allow users to request content removal. If the information remains up, consider sending a cease and desist letter to the person responsible. While this isn’t always enforceable, it signals that you are taking legal steps.

For severe cases, report the doxing to law enforcement. If you are facing threats, stalking, or harassment, authorities may take action. Seeking legal advice is also important. A lawyer can help you explore civil actions if the doxing causes harm.

To protect yourself long-term, review your online data and increase your privacy settings. Remove unnecessary personal information from public websites, and be mindful of what you share online. While free speech principles protect certain online discussions, doxing often crosses the line into harassment. By staying vigilant and taking action, you can reduce the impact and secure your digital presence.

Doxing Laws: Is Doxing Illegal?

These are the crucial questions: Is doxing legal? Can a doxxing lawsuit ever be filed against you?

This is not a simple issue, as you probably know. 

Doxxing laws may apply to both the victim and the perpetrator.

First, the United States does not have a direct doxxing law that addresses these types of attacks. 

However, some attempts have been made to create such a law. California does have a cybercrime law, which applies to doxxing.

However, other stalking laws may also be applicable.

First, doxxing legal action should be separated into criminal and civil law.

Unfortunately, answering the question "Is doxing legal?" is a bit tricky as it can vary from one case to another. The answer can also change based on what information got distributed, where that information came from, and who got doxed.

Often, doxxing is part of a more extensive campaign to harass an individual or entity, and there are certain people, such as jurors or witnesses, that fall into different categories. It is often challenging to discover the identity of the person doxxing, which is an obstacle that can be difficult to overcome.

If the information was obtained legally, either through social media or on a public forum such as a Google search, it's unlikely the doxing is illegal since anyone can access this information. While many people would find this disturbing, doxxing can often take little snippets of information that seem harmless on their own and compile them to create a bigger picture.

People often don't realize how much personal information they've put out on the internet, and doxing can exploit certain known security flaws of various sites to dig for more data. While not all of this behavior is legal, it often gets performed anonymously.

Can I Report Doxing?

If the doxing takes place on social media, you can report doxxing to the platform, which usually violates the terms of using that service. The result is that posts or tweets get swiftly removed, but that doesn't stop the offender from creating new fake accounts and continuing to post information about you.

In most cases, you'll simply have to decide how much bandwidth you have to dedicate to this doxing, and often the best course of action is to lock or suspend your accounts. Otherwise, you can consult with a lawyer to see if further action is warranted and document the doxing activity to the best of your ability.

Doxxing Examples:

• Personal photos can be released.
• It is possible to post a person's address or phone number on the internet.
• Information about a person's family, employment or other private documents can be released.
• Encourage others to harass someone using the information they have received.

You can also ask Google to remove information that they have saved about you every so often, and if you own any domains, you can switch the whois records to private. Even if you take all available steps, there will still be a bit of information about you on the internet, but you can search for your name to assess how much is out there.

How to stop doxxing

Doxxing can be very distressing. To prevent doxxing, you need to limit the amount of information about yourself online. You can take steps to manage your digital footprint and remove personal information that you don’t want to be shared.

The practice of searching for your data, or doxxing yourself, is the best way to understand how much information is available and potentially where it originates. Regardless of how much of a public figure you are, doxing is not all that uncommon, and it doesn't hurt to prepare.

Resources for Doxing Victims

If you’ve been targeted by doxing, it’s important to act quickly. Your personal information being exposed online can feel overwhelming, but there are resources available to help you regain control.

Start by reviewing your rights under your institution’s acceptable usage of information resources policy and information security charter to understand how your data should be protected. Many universities and organizations have a digital security education hub that offers guidance on how to remove personal details from public sites and strengthen your online security.

For legal support, consider reaching out to student legal aid offices or the office of the general counsel for advice on how to proceed. In some cases, sending a cease and desist letter may help stop further harassment. You can also report the incident to the office of civil rights and equity, which may offer protections if the doxing is tied to discrimination or harassment.

If you feel unsafe, your local public safety department can provide guidance, and the university counseling center can offer emotional support. Online, organizations like a doxing resource group can connect you with experts who specialize in removing harmful content. Additionally, contacting your web hosting service or platforms where your information was posted may lead to its removal. For severe cases, we recommending reporting to the FBI cybercrime unit.

Final Thoughts

Many people have heard the term but still want to know: what is doxing and how to prevent it? The short answer is that you can't stop it entirely, but by practicing safe browsing online and keeping personal information off the internet, you can reduce the risk of doxxing.

Unfortunately, in most cases, it's impossible to identify the culprit of doxing, which makes it difficult to take further steps. The first step to prevent doxxing is to remove your personal information from the internet.