Senate agrees to make doxing a punishable offense

The Dutch Senate approved Justice Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius’s proposal to make doxing a punishable offense. She hopes to implement the law on 1 January 2024. From then, sharing someone’s contact information and personal data with the goal to harass or intimidate them will be punishable with up to 2 years in prison or a fine of up to 22,500 euros.

The maximum prison sentence will be a third higher if the doxing victim has a certain profession, such as mayors, politicians, judges, lawyers, journalists, and police officers, the government said on Wednesday.

Doxing is an increasingly common phenomenon, the government said. People’s addresses and phone numbers are shared in messaging groups so they can be used to harass and scare them. Politicians, police officers, journalists, and aid workers are the most common victims of doxing. But scientists, opinion makers, and municipal employees also increasingly deal with the issue. There have also been cases of ordinary citizens falling victim to doxing, for example, when an ex shared their details.

“Spreading private information to frighten another is really unacceptable,” said Yeşilgöz-Zegerius. “We cannot and must not accept that families no longer feel safe at home. I am therefore pleased that the Senate has also agreed to this bill and that we are drawing a line together: everyone can become a victim of doxing and must be protected against it.”