To be doxxed means that someone publicly reveals your personal or sensitive information online without your consent. This information can include your real name, home address, phone number, workplace details, social security number, private correspondence, or other private data. The act of doxxing is often done with malicious intent to harass, intimidate, embarrass, or cause harm to the victim. It can escalate conflicts by exposing someone's private records which were previously hard to access, thereby potentially exposing them to offline harassment or dangers. Doxxing can be conducted by researching public databases, hacking, social engineering, or gathering information from social media. Although the exposed information is often publicly available somewhere, the way it is compiled and shared to harm someone makes doxxing a serious form of cyberbullying and privacy violation. It originated from hacker culture in the 1990s, where revealing a rival's identity was used as revenge or to bring them to justice. Nowadays, it is used in many contexts including online shaming, extortion, or political conflicts. Protecting oneself involves securing privacy settings, removing sensitive info from online profiles, using strong passwords, and being cautious about data shared online.