Doxxing
Publishing someone's private identifying information — usually a home address — to expose them to harassment.
In more detail
Doxxing is the deliberate publication of identifying information to enable harassment, typically a home address, workplace, phone number or family details. It is rarely the product of sophisticated hacking. In the overwhelming majority of cases the information came from a free people-search site.
Why it matters to you
The supply chain matters more than the motive. If your address is not available on a people-search site, the most common doxxing method simply does not work.
What to do
Remove the supply before you need to. Removal after a campaign starts is far less effective, because the information has already been copied into places removal cannot reach.
- People-search site
A consumer-facing website that publishes a searchable profile of a named individual.
- Swatting
Making a false emergency report to send an armed police response to someone's home.
- Pretexting
Impersonating someone credible to extract information or access.
More terms
- Data broker
- Skip tracing
- SIM swap
- FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act)
- Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA)
- File disclosure
- Expungement
- Record sealing
- Clean Slate law
- Ban the box / fair-chance hiring
- Adverse action notice
- California Delete Act
- DROP (Deletion Request and Opt-out Platform)
- CCPA / CPRA
Full glossary