What is Doxing?

Doxing occurs online, usually on social media, and is a form of harassment when a person’s personal information is publicly shared. Personal information may be a phone number, an email, home address, or other information intended to cause distress. Doxing is a tactic used to threaten, harass, or intimidate others for various reasons like a domestic dispute, political differences, or other types of conflict.

What should I do if I’ve been doxed?

Report the incident to University Police
Contact University Police at 336-758-5911 (emergency) or 336- 758-5591 (non-emergency), through the Wake Safe App, or by filing a report online. University Police is located in Alumni Hall.

Do not delete threatening emails or voicemails made by others towards you. University Police can liaise with Winston-Salem Police if the threat extends beyond campus.

Consider archiving the post
Possibly consider whether archiving the post is appropriate. In some cases, this can be a helpful first step toward deescalating the situation. While it may not fully stop the post from continuing to circulate, it can sometimes help lower the immediate intensity of the response.

Deactivate or make your social media accounts private
You can consider reactivating or making your accounts public again after the doxing has ended.

Take a break from posting online
Take a break from posting online if doxing occurred. Even if you have made your accounts private, it’s possible that additional posts may encourage others to keep the momentum going.