What Is Doxxing and How to Respond
Important: This article is for informational and educational purposes only and is not legal, medical, or professional advice. If you are in immediate danger, call 911 (United States) or your local emergency number.
Doxxing is the public release of someone's private information — home address, phone number, workplace, or family details — with the intent to harass or intimidate. For stalking victims, it is a direct threat to physical safety.
How Doxxers Get Your Information
- Data broker sites that sell public records for pennies.
- Data breaches that leak email addresses, passwords, and more.
- Public social media posts that reveal location or routines.
- Public records such as voter rolls or property listings.
The Risks
Once your address is public, you become vulnerable to harassment at home, swatting (false emergency calls), threats, and unwanted visitors. Doxxing is often a stepping stone from online harassment to physical danger.
How to Respond
- Document the doxxing with screenshots before reporting.
- Report the content to the platform where it was posted.
- File a police report — doxxing may violate state stalking or harassment laws.
- Remove your information from the brokers that supply it.
Every record you remove is one less way an abuser can find you.
Frequently asked questions
Is doxxing illegal?
It can be. Doxxing that is part of harassment, stalking, or threats may violate state and federal laws, even if the information was publicly available.
What should I do first if I am doxxed?
Document it with screenshots, report it to the platform, and remove your information from data brokers. Contact police if you receive threats.
How do I get my address off the internet?
Submit opt-out requests to major data brokers. Our free removal engine provides the links and legal text to do this quickly.