Doxing (or doxxing) is the malicious act of publicly revealing someone's private or personally identifiable information online without their consent. This information can include, without limitation, someone’s private email address, phone number, home address, family address, financial details or sensitive documents.
Doxers typically share this information on various platforms to harass, intimidate or seek revenge on their target. Doxing can have serious consequences for victims, putting them at risk of stalking, identity theft, physical harm and even job loss.
The University of Maryland takes doxing very seriously and does not tolerate any such behavior. We thoroughly investigate all reported allegations of doxing from our students, faculty or staff. If any University of Maryland community members is found responsible for doxing, this would violate our university’s policies (see, e.g., UMD Policy on Acceptable Use of Information Technology, USM Board of Regents Policy on Professional Conduct and Workplace Bullying, and UMD Code of Student Conduct ). These individuals will be held responsible and face disciplinary action.
We are committed to upholding a safe and secure environment for all members of our community and encourage anyone who has been affected by doxing to seek support from available resources such as the University Counseling Center, the Office of Civil Rights and Equity or the University Police Department.
The university is committed to proactively addressing this issue by sharing the following resources to mitigate doxing or the effects of it.
If you are experiencing online abuse, harassment or threats, consider taking steps to preserve evidence - e.g. any related emails, voicemails, texts or social media posts or comments. This is crucial for reporting and potential legal action.
If an individual or organization has doxed you, this attack may include making false or misleading statements about you online. Consider directly reaching out to platforms or web domains where your information has been shared to request this information be taken down from these sites or to have the information corrected.
In this takedown request, it is important that you:
- Identify yourself
- Identify the statements and explain why they are false or misleading
- Describe how the statements are harming you.
When considering your options, be aware that each situation is unique and requires careful judgment. While a takedown request may remove the misleading information, it might also be counterproductive if the account you are making your request from is hostile. Instead, prioritize reporting directly to the platform or web hosting service if they have clearly defined community standards that have been violated. Many platforms (e.g., Instagram, YouTube) offer designated reporting channels.
If the content resides on a website directly operated by the individual who targeted you and not a major platform, you can still attempt takedown by contacting the website's hosting service. Many web hosting companies have established acceptable use policies and allow abuse reporting.
Additional information on take-down requests has been compiled by Harvard University, including links to the most popular social media platforms and web hosting providers.
Don’t hesitate to involve the authorities if you are being abused, harassed or threatened.
In Maryland, “Grace’s Law” makes cyberbullying a misdemeanor punishable by fines of up to $10,000 and up to 3 years in prison. Grace's Law prohibits a person from maliciously engaging in conduct, through the use of electronic communication, that alarms or seriously annoys another person:
- with the intent to harass, alarm, or annoy the other person;
- after receiving a reasonable warning or request to stop;
- AND without a legal purpose.
To report doxing or conduct in violation of Grace’s Law, contact UMPD at 301-405-3555. If you or those close to you are in imminent physical danger or there has been a direct threat of physical violence, you should immediately call 911.
While freedom of speech is protected by the Constitution, it's important to understand that it has limitations. Federal and State laws protect against obscenity, defamation, fraud, incitement and speech directly linked to criminal activities.
Even with free speech considerations, you may have legal avenues to address any online harassment or doxing, such as a cease and desist letter or pursuing a legal complaint. These avenues can serve as deterrents and, in some cases, lead to compensation or justice.
Consulting with an attorney is crucial before embarking on any legal path. They can help you explore the potential benefits and risks of litigation, including the financial costs and potential limitations of your claim.
Students can seek legal advice with the university’s Undergraduate and Graduate Student Legal Aid Offices. This valuable campus resource empowers students to take ownership of their cases while working toward a fair outcome.
When experiencing doxing, you may want to limit your university footprint if you worry about online harassers targeting you physically or using your UMD email and phone number to exploit your campus connections.
Consider requesting that some or all of your personal information be removed from university directories. You can also try and remove as much of your personal information from the internet as possible
Additional resources on requesting your information be removed from university directories are available from the university’s Division of IT. Resources like the Washington Post's guide offer valuable tips on tackling scrubbing personal information from the internet. For a more comprehensive approach, consider consulting services, which specialize in professional online data removal.
