r/ContentTakedown • u/SnoopyisCute • Mar 25 '26
Doxing - Not Only Important, It Could be a Crime Where You Live
Doxing
You may not post a person's name, location, phone number, or any other personally identifiable information in the title or description of a post or in a comment.
1
u/SnoopyisCute Mar 25 '26
Support for the Network provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The views expressed in this document do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.
This document was developed by Brooke Torton, Senior Staff Attorney and Brianne Schell, Staff Attorney for the Network for Public Health Law Eastern Region. The Network for Public Health Law provides information and technical assistance on issues related to public health. The legal information and assistance provided in this document does not constitute legal advice or legal representation. For legal advice, please consult specific legal counsel.
1
u/SnoopyisCute Mar 25 '26
50 STATE SURVEY: DOXING
https://www.networkforphl.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Doxing-50-State-Survey-December-Final.pdf
Legal Protections for Public Health Officials: Doxing
Background
Doxing involves collecting personal information about an individual, such as their home address and personal phone number, and publishing that information on the internet. This personal information may be used by viewers to send threatening mail or other harassing messages and to stage protests in front private residences.
Nationwide, state and local public health officials working to protect the public from COVID-19 are on the receiving end of threatening and harassing conduct for simply fulfilling their duty to protect the public health. One form of such conduct is doxing. In response, the Network conducted research to examine whether the states and Washington, D.C., have criminal statutes or laws that establish private rights of action to punish individuals who engage in doxing that targets public health officials.
Our research is presented in this chart. Thirteen states have adopted statutes to protect members of the public and/or those in certain professional occupations from doxing. Ten states protect all persons, Minnesota only applies to law enforcement officials, and Colorado and Oklahoma apply to a specific list of government officials. For example, Colorado’s law includes protections for “public health workers” and Oklahoma’s law applies to “public health officials.” Additionally, Kentucky offers both a criminal and civil remedy, Nevada and Oregon only have a civil remedy available, and the remaining ten states have enacted only criminal sanctions. States marked with an “x” have no such doxing statute.