Understanding Doxing and Trolling: What you need to know

What is Doxing?

Doxing (also spelled doxxing) is the act of publicly revealing private, personal information about an individual without their consent, with the intention to harass, intimidate, or cause harm. This information can include your home address, personal phone number(s), personal email accounts, information on your family members or other sensitive data that was not previously public.

Doxing is often used as a form of online harassment, escalating situations by moving from digital insults to real-world threats or intimidation.

What is Trolling?

Trolling refers to the act of deliberately provoking, mocking, or antagonizing individuals online to elicit an emotional response. Trolls typically post inflammatory or off-topic messages in online communities, social media, or comment sections, aiming to disrupt discussions or upset others.

While trolling is disruptive and can be emotionally exhausting, it does not necessarily involve sharing private information or posing real-world risks.

It is also worth noting that some “trolls” who may be interacting with you/your posts or comments are not actual humans, but rather “bots”. Social media bots are automated accounts that interact on platforms like Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, or TikTok. They can be programmed to:

• Like, share, comment, or follow accounts
• Post content automatically (e.g., news, ads, or spam)
• Imitate real users to blend in and appear authentic
• Engage in manipulative behavior, like spreading misinformation or influencing trends

Some bots are harmless or helpful (e.g., news updates or weather alerts), but many are used deceptively.

Some “bots” are generated from “bot farms” which are large-scale operations that control hundreds or thousands of social media bots at once. They're often used to:

• Amplify content (make something go viral artificially)
• Manipulate public opinion, often for political or commercial gain
• Fake popularity, such as inflating follower counts or engagement
• Spread spam or coordinated misinformation

Bot farms are usually run with automation software and fake accounts, and they can make digital influence appear much bigger than it really is.

Common misunderstandings

While it may initially seem that doxing and trolling are the same, understanding the differences and being clear when communicating what exactly you may be experiencing is important.  While they are both harmful, conflating doxing with trolling can dilute the seriousness of actual doxing incidents and hinder appropriate responses.

Protecting yourself from Doxing and Trolling

While no one is entirely immune to online harassment, there are steps you can take to reduce your exposure and protect your personal information:

• Limit publicly available personal information
  • Avoid posting sensitive details (home address, personal phone number, personal email) on social media or public profiles.
  • Adjust privacy settings on platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram to control who sees your content.
  • Be mindful of who you accept to connect with on social media platforms (e.g., only people you’ve met in person vs accepting invitations to connect with people you don’t know).
• Be mindful of photos and metadata
  • Be cautious about sharing images that might reveal location data or personal identifiers.
  • Remove EXIF data (location, device info) from photos before posting them online.
• Secure your accounts
  • Use strong, unique passwords for all accounts.
  • Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) where possible.
• Be aware of and monitor your public and digital footprint
  • Be cognisant of what information and images about/of you are available online/in public.
  • Regularly review your digital footprint by searching your name to see what information is publicly accessible. Google yourself!

Responding to Trolling

• Avoid engaging with trolls directly, as they often seek attention and reaction.
• Use platform tools to block, report, and mute harassers. It’s important to note that some platforms can take a while to respond to your report and in some instances, some may not reply at all. Additionally, depending on the platform, what you report may not in fact, contravene the platform’s community standards and no action may be taken on the part of the platform. In most cases, reporting the issue is confidential but it’s best to check the policy for each platform before doing so.
• Document abusive messages (screenshots and if you can, links to posts/conversations) in case escalation occurs.

What to do if you're Doxed

• Do not engage with those who are sharing your personal information online and/or making threats; either on public forums or through direct messages/emails...etc.
• Document the instances (screenshots and if you can, links to posts/conversations) in case escalation occurs.
• Report the incident to the platform where the information was posted. Again, some platforms may take time to respond—or may not reply at all. If the reported content doesn’t violate the platform’s community standards, no action may be taken by the platform. Reporting is usually confidential, but it's best to check each platform’s policy.
• Consider reaching out to the police if threats are made.
• Seek support from colleagues, Concordia’s Employee Assistance Program, university resources or other advocacy organizations. In certain situations, the Office of Rights and Responsibilities may be able to assist.