Doxing and Online Threats
In recent years, the academic community has increasingly been targeted by online harassment from external sources. Those who publish articles, share expert insights, or maintain an active presence on social media—including faculty, students, and staff—may be particularly vulnerable to such attacks.. There are steps you can take to limit exposure and, if targeted, to reduce the threat. These recommendations are drawn from Harvard’s extensive guidance and resources.
Be proactive
Search your name online to see what others see. Remove content that’s in your control and makes you vulnerable. Paid services such as Experian can also perform this work, such as removing email addresses, phone numbers and physical addresses.
Manage abuse and threats on social media
- Disable or take your accounts private.
- Ignore it. Don’t take the bait.
- If you feel you can’t ignore it, stick to the facts.
- “Mute” attacker accounts.
- Block the attackers.
Document
Keep evidence of harassing or threatening texts, voice messages, social media posts, etc.
Request that content be taken down
Contact web platforms to request that false information and abusive content be removed. Be sure to save a copy of the abuse before requesting its removal. Even if the abuser is using their own website, hosting services can apply their own standards and principles. Here are sample requests to take down false statements and threatening content and here are links to different platforms’ community and content guidelines.
Report threats and misconduct
Threats from outside the university should be reported to law enforcement. If the actors are from within the university community, follow the New School’s guidance for reporting misconduct. The Information Security and Privacy Office can also help prevent harassment that is sent to New School email addresses or other New School systems.
Get legal advice
The New School’s Office of General Counsel cannot provide legal advice or representation to individual members of the university community about personal matters such as doxxing, but there are resources and legal assistance available for the public. These links are provided for general information purposes:
- All employees are eligible for the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and through EAP, employees are entitled to a free 30-minute consultation for each new legal or financial issue. Employees can call 888.238.6232 anytime, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or visit resourcesforliving.com (enter the username “newschool” and the password “eap”).
- The New York City Bar Association provides links to resources, including information on help on pro bono cases and brochures on handling different types of legal matters.
- Legal Aid Society
- Legal Referral Service, sponsored by the Bar, can recommend lawyers for different circumstances.
Take care of yourself
The university’s Employee Assistance Program can help here, too. Counseling services are available.