Doxxing (also spelled  “doxing”) is the act of revealing someone’s personal information online. Doxxing is a form of online harassment that means publicly exposing someone’s real name, address, job, or other identifying info. The aim of doxxing is to humiliate, bully, harass, or otherwise harm a victim.

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Yes, you can go to jail for doxxing someone. Although doxxing itself is not illegal, it could contribute to another criminal offense like harassment, stalking, intimidation, identity theft, or incitement to violence. 

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If you’ve been doxxed, or if you think someone may be doxxing you, act quickly to stop the spread of your personal information. Here’s what to do if you think you’ve been doxxed:

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• Document the evidence.
  Take screenshots of everything in case you need to report it to the police.

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• Lock down your accounts.
  Create strong and unique passwords for your accounts and store them securely in one of the best password managers. Enable multi-factor authentication to strengthen the privacy settings on all your online accounts.

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• Ask a friend or family member for support.
  Doxxing can be emotionally taxing. Ask someone to help you navigate the issue so you’re not dealing with it on your own.

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• Change your phone number.
  Depending on what information was exposed, you may want to change your phone number, usernames, or other personally identifying info.

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Here’s where to report a doxxing incident

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First, report the doxxing attack to the platforms hosting your info. Sites like Facebook and Twitter have terms of service agreements that prohibit doxxing, and they should respond to your request and suspend the account of the doxxer(s).

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Then, report potential cybercrimes. In many cases, doxxing can constitute a criminal offense. If you’ve been threatened or subject to other criminal harassment, file a complaint with your local law enforcement department. Collecting documentary evidence through screenshots or webpage downloads will also help police take timely and appropriate action.

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You can easily hide your IP address by using either a VPN or a proxy to access the web. These tools let you connect to a protected server before you connect to the public internet.