Briefing paper: Doxing, digital abuse and the law

This brief provides preliminary research findings on the legal frameworks in nine focus jurisdictions designed to protect people from doxing, a form of online harassment. To understand what legal protections exist, with pro-bono support with pro-bono support from law firm Hogan Lovells LP together with the Alliance for Universal Digital Rights, we researched laws in England and Wales, Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, the US (Virginia, Texas, California), the European Union, and international human rights law. The research considered what laws are currently regulating doxing. It also looked at prospective laws, soft laws, and other areas of law, such as copyright, defamation, and consumer law.

In releasing this brief, we aim to enable discussions among diverse stakeholders on the legal approaches required to address doxing effectively.