What does doxing mean?
Doxing refers to the practice of researching and then publicly revealing private or identifying information about an individual on the internet — such as their home address, phone number, employer, or legal name — without their consent, and usually with hostile intent. The term is most often encountered as a noun describing the act itself ('she was a victim of doxing') but it also works as a verb ('they threatened to dox him'). Doxing has become a serious concern in discussions of online harassment, privacy, and digital safety, because exposed personal details can enable stalking, swatting, identity theft, or real-world violence. Although some argue that revealing information about public figures can serve accountability or journalism, the word almost always carries negative connotations of malice or recklessness rather than legitimate whistle-blowing. Originating in 1990s hacker culture as a playful respelling of 'docs' (documents), doxing has since entered mainstream vocabulary and news coverage.
The act of searching for and publishing private or identifying information about an individual online, typically with malicious intent.
"The company updated its community guidelines to address doxing among users."
Often preceded by words like 'victim of' or 'target of'; frequently discussed in legal and platform-policy contexts.
To search for and publicly release someone's private information online without consent.
"He was banned from the forum for doxing another member."
Also spelled 'doxxing'; the base verb is 'dox' or 'doxx'.
The 'x' in doxing stands for nothing at all — it's just how internet users stylized the word 'docs', turning documents into a weapon.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of doxing
Doxing derives from 'docs', an abbreviation of 'documents', referring to the dossiers of personal information early internet users compiled about one another. In 1990s hacker and gaming communities, 'docs' was stylized as 'dox', giving rise to the verb 'to dox' and its gerund 'doxing'. The double-x spelling 'doxxing' emerged as a variant reflecting the same playful orthography. The root ultimately connects to Latin 'documentum', from 'docere', meaning 'to teach'.
Related word forms
How doxing is actually used
Doxing is informal-to-neutral register, widely used in journalism, law enforcement, and online-safety contexts despite its slang origins. It carries strongly negative connotations, as it implies a violation of privacy rather than legitimate disclosure. The spellings 'doxing' and 'doxxing' are both common, with the double-x variant emphasizing the word's internet-culture roots; 'dox' alone is also used as a verb.
Easily confused with doxing
Hacking is unauthorized access to computer systems, while doxing is specifically the publication of a person's private information — though hackers may obtain data that is later used in doxing.