Doxxing

Participants in this course will gain a comprehensive understanding of doxxing—not just as an act of online harassment, but as a coordinated system of digital exploitation with real-world consequences. We will trace the evolution of doxxing from early internet vigilantism and GamerGate to today’s AI-driven “doxxing-as-a-service.”

You’ll learn how data brokers fuel the exposure economy, why polarized platforms and collapsing moderation make attacks inevitable, and how identity, vulnerability, and organizational culture shape risk.

Learning objectives

Contextualizing

Define and contextualize doxxing as a weaponization of personal data that bridges digital exposure and real-world harm.

Historical development

Analyze the historical, technological, and social conditions that have made doxxing more pervasive—from GamerGate to AI-driven automation.

Risk assessment

Identify organizational vulnerabilities and failure modes to understand how individual targeting can escalate into institutional risk.

Curriculum outline

What is doxxing?
How we got here (2010-2020)
What’s happening now (2020-Now)
Data brokers
Why some people are especially vulnerable, and how
Doxxing response as a team sport
Future risks and trends

Anticipated time to complete

NTEN courses typically require about 60 minutes of video content to complete, while optional content varies by course.

Course details

Members $60

Non-members $120

Earn a Professional Certificate and save 40% on course registrations.

Meet the presenter

Shauna Dillavou

Pronouns: She / her

CEO

Brightlines

Shauna Dillavou weaves together participatory methods, human rights, and trauma and technology together to create human-centered security. Shauna started Brightlines in 2021 to support democracy's tireless workers - elected and election officials and advocates - facing political violence via doxxing. She also leads Security Positive, a digital security consulting firm for the often-overlooked security needs of intersectional women, environmental activists, and political candidates and campaigns. In 2013, she founded CommunityRED to support free speech in closed societies, focusing on the former Soviet Union, South Asia, and Latin America. Her security career began in 2008 as an open source intelligence analyst, and has continued as a 2009 National Security Education Program Boren Fellow, and a 2016 Truman National Security Political Partner. Shauna has a certificate in change management, holds a master's degree from the USC, and a bachelor's degree from Marquette University.

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