Online doxing, or the illegal act of disclosing someone's private information to the public, become increasingly common as people blur the line between digital and real life.
This worrying trend is especially damaging as there is not much the doxed person can do once private information about them is leaked online.
(Photo : Leon Neal/Getty Images)
However, preventive measures can be taken as an added protection against similar attacks in the future.
Also Read: 5 Privacy Tips for a Secure Online Messaging Experience
Do Not Share Private Information Online
This rule does not only apply to strangers meet online but to anyone you converse with online.
Much like how screenshots and message archives are used to "expose" someone's wrongdoings, the same records can also people's safety at risk when it is published online.
Private details like personal address, real name, and credentials, when fallen into the wrong hands, could lead to targeted harassment, extortion, and even far more extreme actions against the victim.
Be Careful in Reading Terms & Conditions
Most online services, before allowing users to use their platforms, require people to agree with its terms and conditions.
These agreements usually compromise the platform's legal rights, as well as disclosure of which data and information it is allowed to record from users.
It is important to carefully read these binding agreements to see how much information is being granted to these companies. The same goes for signing contracts for job employment.
This way, people can pursue legal compensation from their companies and employers, even former ones, for violating agreements by exposing private information to others without consent.
Make Sure Which Online Accounts are Linked with Each Other
One of the common ways people are able to collect not-so-public information about others is by looking for older accounts that are still linked to the current one.
These older accounts usually contain much more personal information about users or are connected to family members, giving chance to stalkers and "internet detectives" to trace people in real life.
It is recommended to avoid using real names on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram to prevent internet sleuths from uncovering past (and more personal) accounts.
Of course, deleting or unlinking the older account are other alternatives to protect data privacy.
Stop Using AI Filters
Many social media platforms have recently rolled out more AI-powered filters as people use them to join online trends.
It is important to note that AI firms and developers are notorious for collecting their user data to train their future AI models.
It does not help that many of these companies gather these data without much confirmation from the users. Add the fact that these platforms are often being targeted by cyberattacks, it comes as no surprise that people's data were being exposed through AI
With security concerns from both the main platform and the third-party developers, it is wiser to lessen the use of these filters to limit the amount of data that can be accessed by other people.
Related Article: How to Secure Your Personal Data on Google Chrome
