Doxing

Gently lead a conversation with learners about the risks and issues posed by doxing. Help them know what to do if they fall victim to doxing

About This Module

This curriculum module is based on takeaways from series two of NYC Digital Safety training videos. You may use this module by:

  • Including it in your pre-existing public workshops
  • Combining it with other NYC Digital Safety modules to make a longer data-privacy focused workshop
  • Sharing the handout with library users at various service points

Downloadable presentation slides, a facilitation guide, and a handout can be found below.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this module, learners will be able to:

  • Define doxing
  • Discuss the causes and effects of doxing
  • Identify and use different approaches for both avoiding doxing and dealing with a doxing attack that has occurred

Lesson Plan

This lesson plan is also included in the downloadable facilitation guide below. You are welcome to use any and all of this, or adapt it as you see fit.

This module will take approximately 60 to 90 minutes to complete.

Introduction and welcome

Greet learners and review the plan for this module

Define doxing

Provide a working definition of doxing. See if anyone has any questions or anything to add

Discussion: Your experiences with doxing

Ask your learners to discuss and share what they know about doxing and see if any of them have any examples or incidents they’ve heard about to share

What doxing is and how it happens

Share basic concepts around doxing and why it occurs. Pause to see if your learners have anything else to add to these lists

Discussion: Cyberbullying

Ask learners to share examples, experiences with, or thoughts on cyberbullying

What to do during a doxing incident

Review steps for what to do if you’ve been doxed

Strategies to use to avoid doxing

Share best practices for avoiding an incident in the future

Discussion: How to avoid doxing

Put learners into small groups. Have them discuss and brainstorm ways to avoid doxing

Doxing and online participation

Emphasize that doxing is often used as a tool to initiate and threaten people. Encourage learners to protect their online security and to take steps to protect themselves from doxing

Wrap up, final tips, and final questions

Review the closing thoughts and share the suggested resources. See if anyone has any final questions

Next Steps

Download the materials below for use in your workshop or at service points throughout your library.

If you plan to create a longer privacy-focused workshop using these materials, here is a link to Google slides. Feel free to make a copy if you’d like to add these slides to any other deck.

And please let us know how it went! Use this form to share your feedback on this module. We’d love to hear from you.