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Bill

Bill

A 3561

Establishes crime of doxxing.

2024-2025 Regular Session Introduced by Bob Auth and 18 co-sponsors

New Jersey bill criminalizes doxxing by making it illegal to publicly disclose someone's private information with intent to harass, intimidate, or harm them online.

Reported and Referred to Assembly Appropriations Committee
#crimproced #crimes
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Bill Summary · A 3561

Legislative bill overview

Bill A 3561 creates a new criminal offense in New Jersey specifically targeting "doxxing"—the practice of publicly disclosing someone's private personal information (such as home address, phone number, or workplace) with intent to harass, intimidate, or harm them. The bill establishes criminal penalties for individuals who engage in this conduct, likely creating both misdemeanor and felony gradations depending on the severity and intent of the disclosure.

Why is this important

Doxxing has become a prevalent form of online harassment that can expose victims to stalking, physical threats, harassment, and violence. By criminalizing the practice, New Jersey would provide law enforcement with specific tools to prosecute perpetrators and give victims legal recourse. This reflects growing recognition that digital-age harassment tactics require modern legislative responses.

Potential points of contention

  • First Amendment concerns: Critics may argue that criminalizing information disclosure could chill legitimate speech, investigative journalism, or public discourse about public figures, requiring careful definitional language around intent and public interest exceptions.
  • Definitional challenges: The bill must precisely define what constitutes "private" information and what threshold of harm or intent triggers liability, since some publicly available information might be compiled for different purposes.
  • Enforcement and proof difficulties: Prosecuting doxxing requires identifying perpetrators in often-anonymous online environments and proving specific intent to harm, which presents practical investigative and evidentiary challenges.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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