What Is Doxxing and How Do I Prevent It?
Understand what doxxing is, why it is dangerous, and how to reduce the chances of your personal details being exposed.
Doxxing Basics and Real‑World Impact
Doxxing is the act of publicly exposing someone’s personal information—such as full name, home address, workplace, or phone numbers—without consent, usually with malicious intent. It can lead to harassment, threats, or even physical harm, and often relies on data that people have unintentionally scattered across forums, social networks, and data‑broker sites.
Because doxxing aggregates information from many sources, protecting yourself means reducing those sources and making it harder to link online identities to real‑world details.
Reducing Your Risk of Being Doxxed
Use separate email addresses and usernames for sensitive activities, such as activism or moderating communities, so they are harder to tie back to your primary identity. Lock down social media profiles, review old posts that reveal addresses or routines, and avoid sharing documents that display full contact details.
Where possible, opt out of data‑broker databases and use privacy‑focused domain registration options to avoid exposing your home address in public WHOIS records. If you are at heightened risk, consider using a mailbox service or work address instead of residential information when signing up for public‑facing services.