Doxing

Methods for obtaining information about a person being doxed range from using publicly searchable databases, social media platforms such as Facebook, and the hacking of personal accounts.

Doxing may be carried out for various reasons, including to aid in legal investigations or for use in business analysis; however, in the context of cyberbullying, doxing is used for the purposes of coercion, online shaming, extortion, and even vigilante justice. It is often associated with use by online 'mobs' who are seeking to intimidate or threaten the victim by making them fear for their personal safety and security.

Sometimes, perpetrators can use the threat of leaking personal information in order to manipulate or potentially blackmail someone into doing or saying things they don't feel comfortable with.

When someone's information is shared online, it can often feel to the victim like the entire world has gained access to the most private details of their personal life. Of course, this isn't the case in reality; only a fraction of people would have actually seen the content being shared. Trying to rationalize the situation and gain a healthy perspective is key to dealing with doxing, but it can be very difficult in practice.

The heightened anxiety levels normally remain for the duration that the content is being displayed online or for as long as the victim is still receiving harassment and abuse in relation to that particular unauthorized disclosure.

These cases of long-term anxiety and distress can aggravate pre-existing mental health problems and potentially even lead to mental illnesses such as depression and self-harm.

If the victim's home address has been shared, they may become worried about leaving or going outside, leading to even further problems with their employment or education.

If your personal information, such as your home address, is being shared or distributed online, it is important that you assess any potential threat to your personal safety and contact the relevant authorities as you see fit.

Take back control: Most breaches in personal security happen when your passwords, social media accounts, or email accounts get compromised. Change all your passwords immediately.

Report the content and users: Google keywords from your personal information and compile a list of platforms that you need to contact. Report the users and the content to the appropriate platforms and ask for the content to be removed.

Ask for help: It is natural to want to monitor the activity online. Ask somebody you trust to do it for you. By letting somebody else take the emotional strain, you can protect your mental and physical wellbeing.

Perspective: It can feel like the entire world has seen the data that they are sharing. In reality, how many people have actually read that content, or how many of them really know you? Perspective and mindset are key to dealing with doxing.

Assess the threat: Once you manage to gain some perspective on the situation, ask yourself if there is a real threat to your personal safety or not. Don't be scared to reach out to the relevant authorities if you feel threatened.

Visit our Support Hub to learn more about the ways we can help you with your situation.

A body reported to be Sunil's was found in Rhode Island's Providence River on April 25, 2013, as reported by the Rhode Island Health Department.

The cause of death was not immediately known, but the family later confirmed Tripathi's death was a result of suicide; he had been depressed for some time, and the doxing had led to huge international media speculation, which is thought very likely to have influenced his heartbreaking decision.

You should always be aware of the private information you are sharing and refrain from publicly providing information such as your address, personal phone number, or email address.

Sharing Information Online

When interacting online, it can feel easier to trust people with information you wouldn't normally share with them if you were in an offline environment.

Although most people are aware of the risks associated with sharing personal information online, there are still people who make mistakes and temporarily feel comfortable enough to share more personal information than they intended to.

Be mindful that if we share personal information or images with people online, they will have access to that information forever. Online blackmail with the threat of doxing has become very common, with the perpetrator forcing the victim to do certain things, such as a sexually oriented video or money transfers.

The best way to prevent this from happening is to ensure you are fully aware of the risks associated with sharing information with other people, make sure you can completely trust the person you will be giving personal information to, and only share personal data if it's absolutely necessary.

Below are some questions you could ask yourself before giving away personal information to assist you in making a clear judgment on whether, by doing so, you could be at risk:

• How do I know this person?
• Are they who they say they are?
• Why do they want my information?
• Can I trust them?

Remember that your personal information can be used in a variety of ways, so it is important to reflect on what you are willing to share and how well you trust the person you are in contact with.

How Much Personal Information Are You Sharing?

Have you ever posted personal information about yourself? No? What about the pictures and statuses that give away your location or location services?

If you have concerns about security, then it would be a good idea to go through all of your social media profiles and review your security settings to prevent your information from becoming publicly available.

Things like your phone number and friends list can commonly be abused by doxers if you are targeted. Think back to old usernames or abandoned social media profiles you no longer use; search them in Google and delete things that you wouldn't want there now.

Online Directories

Third-party information sellers are the top culprits for helping get your information out to doxers. Websites and services such as Whitepages, Spokeo, and 192 all make money from selling your personal information to anyone who searches their databases.

You don't have to agree or opt-in to have your information featured, but you can usually request for your information to be removed.

Whois Information for Doxing

Whois information is what you use when purchasing a web domain name. If you own any website domains, then at some point you will likely have had to enter your personal information. Once your information has been released in this way, it is very hard to remove, as it can be traced through the Whois history services, even if you change the listing.

To prevent having to list your address and phone number online, you could use a mailing address or online phone number alternative such as Google Voice, or consider purchasing a privacy package when you sign up with your domain provider. These are usually only a small fee per year and mean you don't have to give out your name, address, or phone number.

Doxing on social media: Your social media account details can be distributed in order to be used for further harassment as well as to help others find more information about you and your activities. Generally, this information about your public profiles is the first thing to be released, as doxing usually begins after existing social media bullying and abuse. Avoid clicking on any suspicious or unusual links, as people could be trying to get you to download viruses.

Doxing of home address: The release or publication of your home address can lead to a multitude of issues, from annoyances such as magazine subscriptions and unwanted pizza deliveries to more serious problems such as assault, swatting, or stalking. Victims with a prominent public profile can be driven from their homes.

Work or school: Harassment involving your place of work or study can be particularly stressful as it can affect your professional reputation. Even without making allegations against you, repeated irritations such as false deliveries and general hoax calls can be damaging to your role; employers or administrators might decide it is easier to let you go and lose the problem. This is the aim of doxers, as they seek to cause you trouble and distress. Jobs involving work with children, such as teachers or doctors, may be especially vulnerable to false accusations.

Email address: Email addresses are usually abused through the sending of hate mail as well as having them signed up for embarrassing or annoying spam emails or services. Losing control of your email accounts can be incredibly distressing, especially if your backup email or secondary identification process is not adequately in place.

Phone number leak: Leaked phone numbers are generally used to stress and harass victims through hoaxes and abusive phone calls and text messages around the clock. Abusers may call you themselves or sign your number up for services such as text updates to cause irritation.

Doxing of financial details: Credit card information, account numbers, and other financial information should be reported immediately to your bank should you suspect it has been doxed. Your bank will be able to provide you with the best advice on how to deal with the situation and take preventative measures to secure your account.

If you need assistance with a problem related to doxing, visit our Support Hub to learn more about the various ways we can help you with your particular situation.