The Guardian: 'Doxxing' Is 'Effective' Tactic Against 'Far Right'

In an article for the Guardian, Wednesday, writer Jason Wilson claimed that though doxing is a “tactic” that has been “sneered at by some,” it has “proven to be effective” against ideological opponents and in “dismantling the far right.” Ironically, the same writer called doxing a “danger facing US journalists” in June.

Wilson claimed in his article that “nonviolent activism” has “played a role in dismantling the far right,” including the tactic of “doxxing” opponents, which according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, means “to publicly identify or publish private information about (someone),” such as “home addresses” or “names of family members,” as “a form of punishment or revenge.”

“By ‘doxxing’ people who participated in online organizing or offline street action, antifascists aimed to defuse the danger that believers in violent ideologies present, and to extract a social or economic cost for participation in far right movements,” Wilson claimed, before promoting comments from Antifa activist Emily Gorcenski and Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook author Mark Bray supporting the use of doxing.

“Emily Gorcenski is a Charlottesville survivor, antifascist activist, and data scientist. She has participated extensively in doxxing far right figures,” reported Wilson. “She says doxxing is both about community safety and accountability.”

Ironically, in June, Wilson published an article in the Guardian describing “doxxing” as one of “the new dangers facing US journalists,” and noting that the tactic often leads to death threats sent to those who have been doxed.

In another Guardian article published in June, writer Arwa Mahdawi also noted that those who dox others “often get things wrong,” and end up putting others in danger.

One such incident occurred last year, when activists began doxing people they believed to have attended the Charlottesville “Unite the Right” rally, only for it to be revealed that their victims were not actually at the event.

As previously reported, “The identification attempts inspired several others to become involved, including actress Jennifer Lawrence and journalist Kurt Eichenwald. However, several people with no links to the alt-right or the march were reportedly misidentified, doxed, and subsequently received death threats and abuse from left-wing activists.”