what is doxing

Doxing (or doxxing) is the act of publicly revealing personally identifiable information about an individual or organization without their consent, usually on the internet. This involves collecting and disseminating private or sensitive information such as names, addresses, phone numbers, social media profiles, or financial details to shame, embarrass, harass, or intimidate the target. The term comes from "dropping dox," where "dox" is short for "documents," originally meaning to compile and release a dossier of personal information. It has roots in hacker culture from the 1990s, where exposing someone's identity was used as a form of revenge or competitive tactic. Today, doxing is often associated with cyberbullying, harassment, and sometimes vigilante justice or extortion.