Doxxing: beware of the use of your data
Are you familiar with the phenomenon of "doxxing"? This consists of collecting a person's information in order to exploit it to harm them. It can be intimidation, harassment or revenge. Here are our prevention tips.
Fanny reacts to a post on social media. Following a disagreement with another user, he decides to take revenge and recovers his home address, phone number and the name of his employer, thanks to Fanny's old publications. He then decides to broadcast them publicly and Fanny receives dozens of anonymous calls, insults, threats,...
This situation is an example of "doxxing", a contraction of the term "document tracing ", which can be translated as "document tracing", "dox" being the slang for "document". This is the search for and public disclosure of personal data on the Internet for malicious purposes. This can be a person's name, address, phone number, or photos.
And the consequences of sharing them can be terrible: stress, anxiety, insecurity, damage to reputation and even risks to the person's life.
Doxxing can consist in particular of the dissemination of information about a person involved in a judicial investigation. Even if the person is known to the courts, publicly displaying private information about him or her can lead to risks for him or her and sanctions for the person who reveals it.
In Belgium, doxxing falls under Article 442bis of the Criminal Code: "Anyone who harasses a person when he knew or should have known that he would seriously affect the peace of the targeted person by this behavior shall be punished by a prison sentence of fifteen days to two years and a fine of fifty [euros] to three hundred [euros], or only one of these penalties." It should be noted that the amount quoted is to be multiplied by additional decimes to correspond to the evolution of the cost of living and will therefore be higher.
How to prevent doxxing?
- Limit your public information on social media.
- Don't publicly share your phone number, address, or places you frequent.
- Think carefully before sharing photos or data, even if the platform seems secure. They can be copied by a malicious person.
- Set your accounts to private mode as much as possible.
- Use pseudonyms when possible.
- Opt for a separation between your private and professional life, especially by using different email addresses.
What to do in case of doxxing?
Are you a victim of doxxing? Keep screenshots of the messages and report them on the relevant platform. Do not hesitate to file a complaint with the Local Police. Also warn your loved ones by explaining the situation to them in order to benefit from their support and avoid the spread of false information and finally, do not hesitate to get help.