From the Foundation for the Marketplace of Ideas:
The most noteworthy battlefield upon which livelihoods and personal relationships are savaged by the arbiters of political correctness is the World Wide Web, and doxing is the nuclear bomb within the arsenal of soft tyrants. Unlike yesteryear in which derogatory newspaper articles and editorials are soon forgotten and buried within the annals of time, the Internet is forever and a Google search of one’s name republishes the offensive material anew to interested third-parties.
Doxing is defined by Wikipedia as “the Internet-based practice of researching and broadcasting private or identifiable information (especially personally identifiable information) about an individual or organization.” When a person or organization “doxes” their victim, it is often done with malicious scienter for the purpose of intimidation and to foment societal ostracism against the target.
The leftist Southern Poverty Law Center is known for engaging in soft despotic acts against American political dissidents of a right-wing and nationalistic political persuasion. Mark Potok, who is the editor-in-chief of the SPLC’s Intelligence Report, did an interview with a journalist in 2015 in which he admits that through the publications of the SPLC, they target organizations that and people who have “nothing to do with criminality or violence[.] * * * It’s strictly about ideology.” Further, Potok notes, “The cost of being outed as a member of these groups, which happens increasingly often these days, is very high. People lose their jobs, their spouses, their families, and so on.” What a “class enemy” was to Lenin and Stalin, a “hater” is to Potok’s SPLC.
The Alt-Right and its activists—except for a few of its philosophical leaders—, operate mostly through anonymity on the Internet. Leftists, however, enjoy outing them so as to stifle the momentum of their movement. People who are doxed can take a number of actions to inoculate themselves from the problems that could arise.
It is important to note that the repercussions for doxing are often made far worse by its victims who take voluntary, self-deprecating actions in response to it by (1) needlessly quitting their jobs, (2) apologizing, or (3) making the severity or duration of the doxing episode worse by engaging the doxers.
Firstly, when one is doxed, one should set their social media accounts—Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc—to private so as to restrict the amount of information that subsequent doxers can obtain to use for purposes of additional harassment. When Amanda Carpenter was named as a possible mistress of Ted Cruz, Carpenter did not immediately restrict access to her Instagram page and subsequent doxers found a photograph of Carpenter sitting on a hotel bed with condoms apparently next to her—which only fueled the controversy. Oops.
Secondly, one should document everything—save any and all emails, letters, voicemails, and documents that are received, take screenshots of all online postings, and create a journal in which “who-what-where-when-how” is thoroughly documented. This can be useful for purposes of seeking a personal protection order, contacting the police to request criminal prosecution, or filing one or more lawsuits—especially since evidence can be lost and memories fade with the passage of time.
Thirdly, do not take any action by quitting one’s job or responding to the online harassment. If an employer terminates a victim of doxing, the victim may have a cause of action for tortious interference, in addition to claims for defamation or invasion of privacy that could be raised against their tormentors. If one’s employer is a government actor and termination—rather than resignation—occurs, a 42 U.S.C. § 1983 civil action may possibly be brought against the employer. By not responding online, party admissions that could derail a civil action will not be made, and the severity and duration of the doxing will subside sooner rather than later.
Fourthly, do not apologize or renounce one’s political views. If one does so, then an argument can be made that the societal ostracism engaged in by the doxers is justified and the apology can be used to evince that the doxed individual engaged in wrongdoing worthy of adverse actions. Further, one will lose any allies that one may have had by condemning their own cause, and this will result in one becoming a political leper: the Left and Alt-Right alike hate traitors. Jack “Southern Avenger” Hunter (Counter-Currents Publishing, Occidental Dissent’s first article, Occidental Dissent’s second article, and Breitbart) is a prime example. Another is Taylor Somers. Additionally, there are psychological and legal benefits for not apologizing.
Fifthly, one should promptly and privately consult with an attorney in their state who practices law in the area of civil litigation. Alt-Right victims of doxing are encouraged to contact the Foundation for the Marketplace of Ideas, Inc., for a referral or assistance with locating such a lawyer. FMI has wealthy donors who are very interested in financially supporting lawsuits against social justice warriors who target Alt-Right activists.
