The rise of social media has made it easier for people to spread information quickly and widely.
It has also made it easier than ever to connect with people all over the world.
However, social media also has its dark side, and one of the most dangerous aspects of it is doxxing.
Doxxing is the malicious publication of private information that can lead to serious consequences, such as physical harm, stalking, or job loss.
In this article, we will look into the most important doxxing statistics including how many Americans have been victims of doxxing, who are the most common penetrators, who are the most common victims of doxxing, what happened after people have been doxxed, and a lot more important information you need to know.
Key Statistics
- Approximately 43 million Americans have had their personal information published online without their consent.
- Over half or 52% of doxxing attacks are caused by online interactions with strangers.
- A quarter of perpetrators personally know the targets.
- Only 66% of doxxing victims sought help from the authorities.
- 9 out of 10 doxxing cases involve the disclosure of personal addresses.
- More than 1 in 3 young adults have been targeted by doxxers.
- After being doxxed on Instagram, 32% of users will take steps to protect their privacy.
- 46% of doxxing victims experience online harassment as a result of their doxxing.
- Nearly four out of ten cases resulted in public shaming.
- Social networking sites are the chosen platform by 86.7% to expose people’s private information without their consent.
Most important Doxxing Statistics that you should know about:
1. Safe Home reports that 21% of Americans have been doxxed
Safe Home’s report reveals that one in five Americans has been doxxed, shining a light on the alarming prevalence of this kind of online harassment in the United States.
About 43 million Americans have been victims of doxxing whose private information has been publicized without their consent.
Doxxing can deter people from expressing themselves online, chilling free speech and public discourse.
This is one of the many reasons why doxxing is so concerning, especially with the current rise and dependence of people in social media sites.
Doxxing is used to intimidate and harass people online.
It can be used to intimidate, silence, and discredit individuals.
Doxxers may target their victims for a variety of reasons, including personal vendetta, political disagreement, or simply for amusement.
Safe Home’s report reminds us that doxxing is a serious problem and people must pay attention getting to know more about this kind of cybercrime.
(Safe Home)
2. What is Doxxing?
Doxxing is an act of malicious online harassment practice which involves the publication of personal information about an individual without their consent.
This information may include details such as the individual’s full name, home address,telephone number, place of work, and other sensitive information.
It is often carried out to expose, threaten, or intimidate them, and can lead to severe consequences, such as physical harm, stalking, or loss of employment.
Doxxers, the penetrators of the act often target journalists,activists, politicians, and others who hold controversial views or are engaged in high-profile activities.
Doxxers have also harassed and silenced individuals participating in online communities or forums, particularly those dedicated to sensitive topics such as politics, race, and gender.
(Basedo)
3. Over half of doxxing attacks occur during online interactions with random strangers
Online interactions with random strangers constitute the largest source of doxxing attacks, accounting for 52%.
Internet anonymity makes doxxing easier to carry out.
Doxxers can use a variety of tools and techniques to uncover people’s identities and personal information.
Once they have this information, they can publish it online or share it with others.
Social media’s wide availability makes it important to be careful about your online connections and what information you share, especially on social media.
(Safe Home)
4. 25% of doxxing penetrators are not strangers to their victims
Most people may assume that doxxers are usually done by strangers they meet online, but little did they know, one out of four doxxers knows their victim personally.
One of the reasons why some doxxers may target the people that they personally know is they are motivated by personal vendetta.
They may dox someone who has wronged them in some way, such as an ex-partner, a coworker, or a classmate.
Doxxers may also be motivated by a desire to intimidate or harass someone they know.
The actual percentage of doxxers who are known to their victims may vary depending on a number of factors, such as the age and gender of the victim, the type of doxxing attack, and the relationship between the doxxer and the victim.
(Safe Home)
Doxxers often threaten their victims with further harassment or violence if they report the incident to authorities, that’s why only 66% or two out of three victims of doxxers have reported the incident to the authorities.
This can be a significant deterrent, especially for victims who are already feeling vulnerable and unsafe after the incident.
It is important to note that reporting doxxing to the authorities is the first step towards recovering from this form of online harassment.
The authorities can investigate the incident, identify the doxxers, and take legal steps to make them accountable for their actions.
They can also provide victims with support and resources to help them cope with the aftermath of the attack.
(Safe Home)
6. Online posts are the leading cause of doxxing, accounting for 52% of all cases
Online posts constitute the primary source of doxxing incidents, accounting for 52% of all cases.
The most common motivations for doxxing are to expose offensive opinions or to harm someone with whom the doxxer disagrees.
Doxxers may be motivated to expose offensive opinions for a variety of reasons.
For example, they may believe that the person’s opinions are harmful or dangerous, and that by exposing them, they can help to protect others.
They may also be motivated by a desire to silence the person and prevent them from expressing their views.
There are cases where doxxers are simply motivated by a desire to harm someone with whom they disagree.
They may be angry or upset by the person’s views, and they may see doxxing as a way to punish them or make them suffer.
(Basedo)
7. 90% of doxxing incidents involve the disclosure of personal addresses
Personal addresses are the most frequently disclosed information in doxxing incidents, accounting for 90% of all cases.
This is a major concern, as it can put victims at risk of physical harm and other forms of harassment.
By disclosing the victim’s personal address, the doxxer is essentially putting the victim on notice that they know where they live and that they could potentially harm them or their loved ones.
The doxxer is essentially making it impossible for the victim to live a normal life.
The victim may live in fear of being harassed or attacked by anyone, preventing them from leaving their home or going about their daily activities.
(Emerald Insights)
8. More than one in four doxxing victims are between the ages of 18 and 29.
People between the ages of 18 and 29 are a prime target for doxxers, with 31% of all victims falling into this age group.
Young adults are generally more comfortable with technology and social media than older adults.
This gives doxers an advantage in finding and exploiting information about young adults online.
Aside from that, people from this age group are more likely to have a significant online presence and more likely to use social media at all times.
Doxxers are now able to find and connect with these people online more easily due to their rampant use of social media and the internet.
(The Small Business Blog)
9. About 4.3% of doxxing incidents reveals the victim’s credit card numbers
Doxxers rarely disclose credit card numbers, with only 4.3% of doxxing incidents involving this type of disclosure.
It might be a relatively small percentage, but it is still a significant concern as it can have major financial consequences for the victims.
Doxxers may disclose credit card numbers to damage the victim’s reputation.
If a doxer discloses the victim’s credit card numbers online, the victim may be bombarded with unwanted charges or their credit score may be damaged.
This can make it difficult for the victim to obtain loans or other forms of credit in the future.
(LinkedIn)
10. 2.6% of doxxing cases reveals the victim’s Social Security numbers
Social Security numbers are rarely disclosed in doxxing cases, accounting for only 2.6% of all incidents.
One of the common reasons why doxxers chose to expose someone’s social security numbers is to commit identity theft.
Doxxers may use the victim’s Social Security number to open new accounts in the victim’s name, such as credit card accounts or bank accounts.
They may also use the victim’s Social Security number to file fraudulent tax returns or to obtain government benefits in the victim’s name.
(LinkedIn)
11. One-third of doxxing victims change their Instagram privacy settings after an attack
About one-third or 32% of victims of doxxing change their Instagram privacy settings after the incident.
This suggests that a large proportion of doxxing victims feel that their privacy was violated and that they need to take steps to protect themselves from further harm.
One of the most common reasons why victims chose to alter their account’s privacy settings is to make it more difficult for doxxers to find and exploit information about them.
By changing their privacy settings, victims can limit the amount of information that is publicly available about them.
Aside from that, victims can also limit the number of people who can contact them or view their profile and discover more personal and private information about them.
(The Small Business Blog)
12. On the other hand, 1 in every 4 Facebook users have altered their privacy settings after falling victims to doxxers
About 25% of Facebook users who have been doxxed have changed their privacy settings in response to the incident.
There are several reasons why doxxing victims change their Facebook privacy settings, including:
- protecting their family and friends from any harassment or abuse,
- avoiding unwanted attention from other people,
- limiting the amount of their private and personal information that is shared on their social media pages, and
- lastly, to maintain their personal privacy and safety.
Doxxing can be a very traumatic experience for victims.
It can induce feelings of fear, anxiety, and depression.
By changing their Facebook privacy settings, victims can take steps to protect themselves from further harm and to regain control over their online presence.
(The Small Business Blog)
13. Nearly half or 46% of doxxing cases resulted in online harassment
Online harassment was a common outcome of doxxing, with 46% of cases resulting in this type of abuse.
Online harassment can take many forms, including cyberbullying, trolling, and stalking.
These forms of harassment can have a serious impact on the victim’s mental and emotional health.
Victims of online harassment may need professional help to cope with the psychological effects of their experiences, including anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
Aside from that, they may also feel isolated and alone, and they may be afraid to go online or to interact with others.
In some cases, online harassment can also lead to physical harm.
For instance, a stalker may use the victim’s personal information to find their home or workplace, and then attack them and hurt them physically.
(Garbo)
14. About 38% of doxxing victims have experienced public shaming after the incident
Doxxing can make it easier for doxxers to publicly shame their victims by providing them with access to the victim’s personal information, such as their name, address, phone number, and social media accounts.
In fact, about 38% or more than ⅓ of doxxing victims have experienced public shaming after the attack.
There are a number of ways that doxxers can publicly shame their victims.
They may post embarrassing or private information about the victim online, or they may send the victim’s personal information to others with the intent to have the victim harassed or abused.
Public shaming can have a devastating impact on the victim.
Victims of public shaming may experience anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
(The Small Business Blog)
15. 38% of doxxing cases led to friendship loss
One of the most common consequences of doxxing is the loss of friendship.
In 38% of cases, doxxing leads to victims losing friends.
This can happen for a number of reasons.
For instance, the victim’s friends may feel betrayed or uncomfortable after learning about the victim’s personal information being published online.
The victim’s friends may also be afraid of being associated with the victim and being targeted by the doxxer.
Doxxing perpetrators are personally acquainted with their victims in 25% of cases, which contributes to the 38% of cases in which doxxing leads to the loss of friendship.
Doxxing someone one knows personally is a betrayal, and victims are likely to end the friendship immediately upon learning the identity of the perpetrator.
(The Small Business Blog)
16. Over one-third or 35% of doxxing victims reported experiencing harassment from their own family
One of the most common consequences of doxxing is family harassment.
35% of the time, these doxxing cases lead to victims being harassed by their own family members.
Doxxing is often a malicious act of publicizing private information about someone.
Due to this, the victim’s family members may feel embarrassed or ashamed after learning about the victim’s personal information being published online.
Aside from that, there are some cases where the victim’s family members may even turn on them and start harassing or abusing them.
This can happen if the doxer is able to manipulate the victim’s family members into believing that the victim is a bad person or that they have done something wrong.
(The Small Business Blog)
17. Nearly one in five doxxing incidents resulted in the release of personal photos
Doxxing can be a serious crime as it can have a devastating impact on the victim.
The release of personal photos is a common consequence of doxxing, with nearly one in five doxxing attacks involving the release of the victim’s personal photos online.
This can be very damaging for the victim, as it can lead to public humiliation, harassment, and even physical harm.
The release of personal photos can be devastating for victims, causing a range of mental health issues,including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
(The Small Business Blog)
18. 40% of doxxing cases revealed the victim’s IP address
Doxxing can lead to the revelation of the victim’s IP address, a serious consequence that happens in about 40% of cases.
This can be very dangerous for the victim, as it can allow the doxxer to track the victim’s location and launch further attacks against them.
Revealing the victim’s IP address allows the doxxer to launch further attacks against the victim, such as denial-of-service attacks or swatting attacks.
In some cases, doxers may also reveal the victim’s IP address in order to blackmail or extort them.
(Garbo)
19. More than half of college students admitted doxxing their friends at least once
Doxxing is becoming a serious problem among young people, with over 53.2% of college students admitting to doxxing their friends.
There are a number of reasons why college students might dox their friends, such as to humiliate them in public and to intimidate them by exposing some of their most personal information.
In some cases, college students may also dox their friends as a way to get revenge on them for something they have done.
(Gabo)
Social media has become a major platform for doxxing, and girls are increasingly using social media to dox others, with 86.7% of them choosing to expose people on these platforms.
These social media platforms provide a sense of anonymity, which can embolden girls to dox others without fear of being caught.
(Gabo)
21. Half of doxxers selected targets they disliked
Dislike was a key motivator for Doxxers, with half of them selecting targets they disliked.
Doxers may dislike their targets for a number of reasons, including disagreement with their views or opinions, jealousy, and personal vendettas.
(Gabo)
Conclusion
Doxxing is the act of publicly revealing private or identifying information about someone online, typically with the intent to cause them harm or embarrassment
The rise of online anonymity has made it easier for people to dox others without being caught.
In the past, if someone wanted to dox someone else, they would have to use their own name and contact information.
But now, they can easily use anonymous accounts and proxy servers to hide their identities.
Knowledge of doxxing statistics can facilitate a better understanding of the scope of the problem, identification of the groups of people who are most at risk, and development of effective strategies for preventing and responding to doxxing attacks.