Doxxing is when someone puts another person’s private information online or in messaging groups without their permission. 

That might be their phone number or their email address or their real address. It might also be things like photos that someone wanted to keep private. 

Doxxing is often done to make the victim afraid and to get a group of people to attack them either online or in real life. 

There is a real danger that doxxing can lead to people being stalked, bombarded with hateful messages and calls or at the very worst to physical attacks or confrontations. 

Doxxing can also lead to things like swatting attacks, where security services or others are sent to the victim’s home on false pretences.

It is usually against the policy of online platforms to allow anyone to reveal someone else’s private details unless they are already in the public domain. 

Facebook, TikTok and X all say it violates their guidelines. They allow users to report posts that give away private information for removal and possible action against the poster.

Doxxing is illegal in some countries too. 

As with other kinds of online abuse, the risks of doxxing are greater for women than for men and are also higher for minorities, according to different studies.