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The Albanese government has begun planning laws addressing the practice of maliciously sharing someone’s personal information online.
Doxxing – the act of making public the private details of an individual, such as their home address – is not a new practice.
In fact, it goes back to the 18th century, when pamphlets and newspapers were often used to share such information in order to apply pressure on an individual, such as tax collectors following the Stamp Act of 1765 in the US.
The practice gained new prominence and infamy in recent decades, however, as a tool of online revenge, when members of the GamerGate movement would often publish the addresses and contact details of journalists and activists with the intent of threatening physical harm.
The practice sadly continues, and now, the Australian government is looking to enact laws that tackle the practice. To begin with, however, the government has announced a period of public consultation on the matter.
“The Albanese government takes the protection of Australians’ privacy and personal information very seriously,” said Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus in a statement.
“The increasing use of online platforms to harm people through practices like doxxing, the malicious release of their personal information without their permission, is a deeply disturbing development.
“Action to combat doxxing would complement other critical reforms being progressed by the government to strengthen the Privacy Act, as well as laws against hate speech and to further protect online safety.”
For the consultation, the government is defining doxxing in three different forms:
The Australian government considers the harms of doxxing to include cyber stalking, physical stalking, humiliation, anxiety over safety, and reputational damage, among other things.
As part of its response to the Privacy Act Review, the government is proposing a “new statutory tort” that would give doxxing victims the chance to seek redress through court action, while also giving individuals greater control over how their private data is used and accessed, including de-indexing.
“This consultation process will be complemented by a roundtable discussion with key stakeholders, including individuals with lived experience and media organisations, to advise on doxxing and privacy reforms and how to appropriately balance competing rights,” Attorney-General Dreyfus said.
Criminal reforms to target those who engage in the act of doxxing are also currently under consultation.
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.
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