Doxxing is the act of finding and publishing someone’s private information online without their consent, often to harass, intimidate or punish them. That information can include a home address, phone number, workplace or family details. The term is also spelled “doxing.”​​ ​

What doxxing looks like​​ ​

Doxxing ties an online identity to a real person. Common targets include a home address, phone number, employer and the names of family members.​​ ​

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) defines it as “The act of maliciously revealing a person’s private information to the public, such as name, address, and phone number.”​​ ​

Doxxers often piece these details together from public sources—like property or court records—and the small clues people share across social media platforms.​​ ​

The term originates from the earlier phrase “dropping docs” (documents). Today, both “doxing” and “doxxing” are widely used and mean the same thing.​​ ​

Why doxxing matters for brands and social teams​​ ​

Social media and community managers are the public face of a brand, making them vulnerable targets during a crisis or viral backlash. Online abuse is an unfortunate reality for public-facing roles, so protecting your team must be a priority.​​ ​

Doxxing can also target customers and community members in your own comment sections. When it happens on your page, act fast to protect your community.​​ ​

Protecting your community starts with a proactive strategy. Establish team guidelines on social media etiquette to show staff which personal details to keep offline. Build a moderation plan that empowers your team to swiftly remove exposed personal info, report it to the platform and document every incident.​​ ​

The legal picture varies. Currently, no US federal law explicitly criminalizes doxxing members of the public, and state laws differ widely.​​ ​

Learn how to protect your team and community with a social media risk management plan.​​ ​

Doxxing vs. trolling​​ ​

Trolling is about provoking people through the repetitive posting of inflammatory or hateful comments online.​​ ​

Doxxing goes further. It exposes a person’s real-world identity and location, so the harm can move offline. DHS names stalking and harassment among doxxing’s purposes, and swatting is often a direct result of these attacks.​​ ​

The two often overlap when a troll escalates from insults to exposing personal details.​​ ​

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