The Basics · Step 1 of 13

What is doxing?

Doxing is when someone finds private details about you and shares them in public without your OK. Most of the time, they do it to scare you, shame you, or get back at you.¹

This page covers what doxing is and why it can be dangerous. Removing your information comes later on the path.

Where the word comes from

"Dox" comes from "docs," which is short for documents. People used to talk about "dropping docs" on someone. That meant posting files about them.¹

You will see the word spelled two ways: doxing and doxxing. Both are correct.¹ This site uses doxing.

What gets shared

A doxer might share things like:³

• your full name, even if you use a different name online
• your home address
• your phone number or email
• where you work
• names of your family members
• financial information
• your Social Security number

The details may already be easy to find. What makes it doxing is putting them in front of people who want to hurt you.

Most doxing is not hacking

Many people think doxing takes a hacker. Often, it doesn't, because a lot of your information is already out there. Websites called people-search sites collect details from public records, social media, and other companies. Then they sell reports about you to anyone who pays.² A doxer can buy one of these reports, add what they find on social media, and post it all in one place.

That also means much of it can be undone. If your information comes from places you can find, you can often remove it or hide it. The rest of this path shows you how.

What doxing is not

• Sharing your own information. If you post your own address, that was your choice. (It can still be risky. We'll cover that later.)
• A data breach. When a company leaks your data by accident or gets hacked, that is a breach. A doxer can use breach data, though.
• Every time someone says your name. People don't all agree on where the line is for some online behavior. But most Americans agree that posting someone's personal information online is harassment.⁴

What doxing can lead to

Once your details are public, other people can use them. Doxing can lead to harassment, stalking, public shaming, or identity theft.³

One of the most dangerous is swatting. That is when someone makes a fake emergency call so that armed police rush to your home.⁶

To send police to your home, the caller first has to find your address. There are many ways to do that:

• It may be in public records, like property records or voter lists.³
• People-search sites sell reports that often include addresses.² A search can start with just a phone number, so a phone number can lead to an address.²
• Someone may trick you into sharing it, for example with a fake email or text message.⁷

Keeping your address private makes this harder, but it can't rule it out.

Doxing and the law

Laws about doxing are different in each state. Some states have laws that use the word "doxing." Others handle it with laws about stalking or harassment.⁵

This site does not give legal advice. We can't tell you whether a law applies to you or what you should do about it. A licensed lawyer in your state can.

To find official government resources where you live, see resources by state.

Last checked: November 7, 2026