Thank you!

There seems to be some confusion about what doxxing actually is. Doxxing is the act of publishing or exposing private personal information about someone without their consent, such as their home address, phone number, private email address, financial information, family details, or other information that is not publicly available and could be used to harass, intimidate, or endanger them. Referring to a public figure by the name they publicly use in connection with their business or platform is not doxxing. Discussing information that has already been published through articles, interviews, websites, public records, or other publicly available sources is not doxxing. In this case, the name being discussed is not secret information, private information, or information obtained through unauthorized means. It is publicly available information that can be found through a simple search for “FetLife creator” and has been discussed in articles, interviews, and online discussions about the platform for years. Criticism of a company, its moderation decisions, its policies, or its leadership is also not doxxing. People may disagree with that criticism, but disagreement does not change the definition of the term. Words have meanings. Calling something “doxxing” does not make it doxxing when no private information is being exposed. The question is simple: Was private personal information revealed? If the information is already publicly available, widely accessible, and directly related to the public-facing founder of a public platform, then it does not meet the traditional definition of doxxing. Public information remains public information, regardless of whether the person being criticized finds that criticism uncomfortable.