Doxxing

Doxxing is the deliberate collection and publication of a person’s personal data against their will, typically their legal name, home address, employer, telephone number or information about relatives. The aim is to expose or intimidate the person or enable others to access them. The term is derived from the English “docs” for documents.

How an address is assembled from puzzle pieces

There is rarely one major data leak. Perpetrators usually piece together many small traces: a tattoo that can also be seen in a private vacation photo, a profile picture that leads via reverse image search to a club photo, a street corner in the background of a selfie, location data in an image file, or a username that is also used for a private gaming account. Each piece is harmless; together, they reveal an identity.

What this means for performers

Working under a stage name protects part of your privacy, but not automatically everything. A stage name is only as protective as its separation from everything else. No one can guarantee complete anonymity, not even an agency. The article Working anonymously describes what can realistically be achieved.

In practice, clear separation helps:

• use a separate email address and telephone number for everything connected with your stage name
• set private social media profiles to private, hide friend lists and review old public pictures
• do not use the same usernames, profile pictures or backgrounds more than once
• remove metadata such as location information from pictures before uploading them and check the background
• use an address for mail and parcels that is not your home address

A self-test shows where the gaps are: search for your stage name, legal name and telephone number in several search engines and check whether the results overlap. Repeat this at intervals. Also check whether friends or family members have publicly tagged pictures with your name or location. Many connections that you never created yourself arise there.

What productions must contribute

Your agency and the production inevitably know your legal name, if only because of age verification, contracts and payment processing. However, it does not belong in end credits, file names, invoices to third parties or group chats. A confidentiality clause can also work in your favor: ask whether the contract obliges the production to treat your identity confidentially.

Legal options

German criminal law now expressly covers the dissemination of personal data when it is capable of exposing the person concerned to danger. In addition, data protection law provides claims for deletion against platforms and search engines. Anyone who is threatened can apply for a disclosure block at the residents’ registration office if they can credibly demonstrate a risk.

If you are affected: save screenshots showing the page address and date, report the publication to the platform and file a police report. Change the passwords of accounts connected to the published data and inform people in your circle if your address is public. If there is a specific threat, inform the police immediately. Support centers against digital violence can help you take action.