UK Government to Strengthen Laws Against Online 'Doxxing'

The United Kingdom government intends to strengthen laws against "doxxing," the online publication of private personal details, following instances of abuse directed at Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) volunteers involved in migrant rescues. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy stated her intention to "tighten up the law" to make the sharing of individuals' home addresses a criminal offense.

Currently, such actions are only considered illegal if they are performed with the explicit intent to cause fear, harm, or distress. Nandy convened a meeting with social media companies on Tuesday to discuss the issue, expressing disappointment that X, formerly Twitter, did not attend, calling the company's absence "a disgrace."

Last week, the chief executive of the RNLI condemned the online and physical abuse faced by volunteers who assisted in migrant crossings of the English Channel. This outcry followed protests after approximately 120 individuals arrived on UK shores from France with the RNLI's help.

Nandy expressed her dismay that professionals such as RNLI volunteers, police officers, social workers, and journalists are being targeted with doxxing, which involves the dissemination of their names, photographs, and addresses.

During her discussions with social media firms, Nandy noted significant variations in their approaches to handling doxxing material. She reported that TikTok automatically removes such posts, while Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, does not. The absence of X from the meeting, she stated, demonstrated "real contempt for people's safety and security and their obligations to society."

The government "will not hesitate to take action" to ensure that publishing people's addresses online becomes an offense, with swift consequences.

BBC Verify identified viral social media posts targeting those involved in migrant rescue operations, some of which incorrectly identified RNLI crew members and called for their families to be located. The RNLI has stated that only a small fraction of its rescue missions, 109 out of 9,058 launches last year, were related to individuals in distress in the Channel, representing 1.2% of its total work. The charity also noted that approximately 95% of small boat interceptions are conducted by the UK Border Force.

Nandy also criticized the pace of enforcement for the Online Safety Act, the government's primary legislation aimed at combating online abuse, urging regulator Ofcom to expedite its efforts. She highlighted "major challenges" in enforcing the Act, noting that while two penalties have been issued to companies, no fines have yet been paid.