The term Doxing (sometimes spelled Doxxing) is a hacker’s term derived from “dropping dox (documents)”.
Doxing is the act of publicly revealing an individuals or organisations private, personal information over the internet. The information posted can vary but it tends to be information that can lead to someone’s identity being discovered, such as phone numbers, addresses, or other personal data.
Why does Doxing happen:
Doxing happens without a person’s consent, with an intent to expose information meant to stay private. Therefore, Doxing can take place for a various reason, but it’s usually used to bully, shame, threaten, coerce, or blackmail another individual.
Doxing attacks range from acts such as fake mail sign-ups or pizza deliveries, to the far more dangerous, like harassing a person’s family or employer, identity theft, threats and other forms ofonline-bullying, or even in-person harassment.
The Impact:
Being threatened with, or being Doxed, can have a huge impact on a person’s mental and physical health. Anxiety can cause issues both mentally and physically as can fear. Having personal information shared in public and without their control, can cause great trauma to the individual at the heart of it. Having personal data such as a home address or bank details shared can also have a security or financial impact too.
How to protect yourself against Doxing:
Doxers have a range of methods they use to collect information about the people they wish to exploit. They can misuse your IP address, search through your social media profiles, buy data from data brokers, use phishing campaigns, and even intercept internet traffic.
There are several ways in which you can keep your information online private and reduce the risk of Doxing:
- Stay informed
Make sure you and any family members are aware of what Doxing is and how it can happen. - Take care with what you share
Doxing is made easier if you voluntarily share personal information publicly on social media or other websites. Think before you post personal information such as your phone number or address. Once your personal information is out there it’s hard to get it back. Avoid using details such as ‘Mothers maiden name’ or similar for your security passwords, especially if that is information you may have previously shared online without realising it. - Take care when using public Wi-Fi
Public Wi-Fi networks may not be secure. If you are asked to download any type of software to access a Wi-Fi network it is best to avoid it, as doing so can cause spyware to be installed on your device which in turn can lead to your personal information being stolen. - Try Googling yourself
A quick internet search can quickly tell you what information is already out there about you. It’s important to check this regularly. Photos, reviews, comments you may have posted on platforms – they all add up to provide a user with a profile of who you are, so it is important to monitor this regularly. - Lock down your accounts
Create new, strong passwordsfor your accounts and store them. Protect your accounts withmulti-factor authentication and strengthen your privacy settings on all your accounts. - Check your privacy settings and location tracking, and which apps you allow access to your data
Apps on your mobile device may gather data on you. Check what apps you allow access to your location etc. in your phone settings. Consider disabling location settings where possible to make it harder for people to access or identify your location or frequently used places. - Protect your passwords
Don’t reuse passwords. Utilise 2FA (Two Factor Authentication) where possible. 2FA sends an alert to separate device asking permission to log into an account – this makes it harder for another individual to gain access to your accounts and data. - Using a VPN will also help keep you safe online
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) can prevent users finding out where you are connecting to the internet from.
What to do if someone Doxes you?
If you’re doxxed on social media:
- Screenshot everything.
- Report it to the platform to get it deleted.
- Change your passwords and watch for any suspicious activity which could lead to identity theft.
- Tell Someone. Seek support from a trusted friend or family member. Or tell us here at BulliesOut.
FAQs
The word “doxing” (also spelled "doxxing") is derived from the term “dropping dox,” or “documents.” Doxing is a form of cyberbullying that uses sensitive or secret information, statements, or records for the harassment, exposure, financial harm, or other exploitation of targeted individuals.
What does doxxing mean in slang? ›
Doxing is the act of revealing personal information about someone online without their consent. It can include information such as the victim's real name, home address, workplace, phone number, financial information, and other personal details.
Is doxxing actually illegal? ›
Yes, you can go to jail for doxxing someone. Although doxxing itself is not illegal, it could contribute to another criminal offense like harassment, stalking, intimidation, identity theft, or incitement to violence.
What is an example of doxxing? ›
One typical example is when someone posts unsolicited personal information, such as a home address, phone number, email address, or other sensitive data online. This is often done by creating fake social media accounts specifically designed to target individuals for harassment and humiliation purposes.
Is it doxing or outing someone? ›
Doxing (or doxxing) is the malicious act of publicly revealing someone's private or personally identifiable information online without their consent. This information can include, without limitation, someone's private email address, phone number, home address, family address, financial details or sensitive documents.
Can you sue someone for doxxing? ›
This means that doxing someone with the intent to make someone fear for their safety or to incite others to cause them harm can be illegal. Furthermore, the First Amendment does not protect people from being sued for: Publishing highly personal information about someone that's not of legitimate concern to the public.
How do you know if someone is doxxing you? ›
How can I tell if I've been doxxed?
- Searching your name online.
- Checking social media.
- Taking notice of calls and messages from people you don't know.
- Investigating possible data breaches.
Doxxing, also spelled “doxing,” is the act of publicly revealing private or sensitive information about someone, usually without their consent, for the purpose of harassment, public shaming, or causing harm. Imagine someone snatching your phone and threatening to upload all your private text messages and photos.
Why is doxxing harmful? ›
If someone is doxxed, their personal information has been leaked online. Often, that personal information consists of a real name, photo, and/or address. Doxxing is a common threat in the digital era, and it can reveal private details that can put your child in danger.
What is the punishment of doxxing? ›
Penalties for Doxing in California
Individuals arrested and charged with cyber harassment (doxing) under Penal Code §653.2 face up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. The charge is a misdemeanor charge. A criminal defense lawyer may negotiate a plea agreement for probation instead of jail time.
The perpetrator may use this fear to gain power over victims in order to extort or coerce. Doxing is therefore a standard tactic of online harassment and has been used by people associated with the Gamergate and vaccine controversies. There are different motivations for doxing.
Why is it called doxxing? ›
What is doxxing? The word comes from “docs,” the abbreviation of “documents.” In the hacker culture of the early 1990s, “dropping dox” on someone -- putting their private data online in a publicly accessible file -- was often a means of revenge. Eventually the noun became a verb too.
What does doxing look like? ›
Doxxing involves gathering online clues about individuals, often called 'breadcrumbs'. By connecting these fragments – from names and physical addresses to emails and phone numbers – doxxers can reveal the true identities of users who would otherwise stay anonymous.
How common is doxing? ›
According to a study by SafeHome, by 2021, over 43 million Americans had experienced doxxing at least once in their lifetime. It's important to note that doxxing is a serious and often underreported crime, and many people who are doxxed may not report it or seek help.
Who has been doxxed? ›
People who have spoken out in support of Palestinian rights have been doxxed, harassed, and blacklisted for exercising their First Amendment rights. Journalists have been doxxed for their reporting. Women have been doxxed and attacked online for speaking out against sexual assault.
What is classified as doxxing? ›
Doxing (sometimes written as Doxxing) is the act of revealing identifying information about someone online, such as their real name, home address, workplace, phone, financial, and other personal information.
What is intentionally leaving someone out of a group called? ›
Social Exclusion is now recognized as a sub group of bullying. This means that idea of excluding someone repeatedly, aggressively and on purpose with the intent to cause emotional harm to them, is right up there with verbal, physical and cyber bullying.
Is trolling a form of cyberbullying? ›
Trolling, a category of cyberbullying, is the act of posting damaging or harassing comments on social media to purposefully insult or humiliate the recipient. Trolling has detrimental effects — including anxiety and depression — on victims' mental health.
