{"id":9126,"date":"2024-02-20T13:52:12","date_gmt":"2024-02-20T18:52:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/?post_type=doxxing&#038;p=9126"},"modified":"2024-05-14T09:59:07","modified_gmt":"2024-05-14T13:59:07","slug":"is-doxxing-illegal-in-connecticut","status":"publish","type":"doxxing","link":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/doxxing\/is-doxxing-illegal\/is-doxxing-illegal-in-connecticut\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Doxxing Illegal In Connecticut?\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Table of Contents<\/h2><nav><ul><li><a href=\"#is-doxxing-illegal-in-connecticut\">Is Doxxing Illegal In Connecticut?<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#definition-of-personal-information-under-connecticut-anti-doxxing-law\">Definition of \u201cpersonal information\u201d under Connecticut anti-doxxing law<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#penalties-for-doxxing-someone-in-connecticut\">Penalties for doxxing someone in Connecticut<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#doxxing-related-activities-that-are-illegal-in-connecticut\">Doxxing Related Activities That Are Illegal in Connecticut\u00a0<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#harassment\">Harassment<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#stalking\">Stalking<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#falsely-reporting-an-incident\">Falsely reporting an incident\u00a0<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#is-doxxing-illegal-at-the-federal-level\">Is Doxxing Illegal at the Federal Level?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#how-to-protect-yourself-against-doxxing-in-connecticut-and-elsewhere\">How to Protect Yourself Against Doxxing In Connecticut (And Elsewhere)<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>If you live in Connecticut and want to protect your online safety, you may have asked yourself: Is <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/doxxing\/what-is-doxxing-how-to-protect-against-it\/\">doxxing<\/a> illegal in Connecticut?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this guide, we review whether or not doxxing is considered a crime in Connecticut and go over what doxxing-related activities are definitely going to result in criminal penalties in the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"is-doxxing-illegal-in-connecticut\">Is Doxxing Illegal In Connecticut?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Doxxing, or publishing someone else\u2019s personal information online without their permission, is considered a crime in Connecticut under <a href=\"https:\/\/law.justia.com\/codes\/connecticut\/2022\/title-53a\/chapter-952\/section-53a-181d\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Conn. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 53a-181d<\/a>, otherwise known as the state\u2019s stalking law.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Doxxing and stalking have similarities in how perpetrators enact the crimes and their intention (harassing and terrorizing their victims), so it makes sense that the two are connected.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"312\" src=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-23-1024x312.png\" alt=\"Connecticut doxxing law - Conn. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 53a-181d\" class=\"wp-image-9127\" style=\"width:565px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-23-1024x312.png 1024w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-23-300x91.png 300w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-23-768x234.png 768w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-23.png 1432w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"definition-of-personal-information-under-connecticut-anti-doxxing-law\">Definition of \u201cpersonal information\u201d under Connecticut anti-doxxing law<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Under Connecticut\u2019s anti-doxxing law, &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/casetext.com\/statute\/general-statutes-of-connecticut\/title-53a-penal-code\/chapter-952-penal-code-offenses\/part-xiv-breach-of-the-peace-harassment-and-related-offenses\/section-53a-181d-stalking-in-the-second-degree-class-a-misdemeanor\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">personal information<\/a>&#8221; refers to any identifying information, including someone&#8217;s:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Name<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mother&#8217;s maiden name<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Social Security number<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Date of birth<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Home address<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Telephone number<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Biometric data.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Connecticut\u2019s definition of personal information also includes any information that could be linked to someone, including their health records, financial documents, or education and employment history.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It also includes any sensitive information about someone&#8217;s gender identity or sexual orientation (along with any &#8220;sexually intimate visual depictions&#8221;).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"penalties-for-doxxing-someone-in-connecticut\">Penalties for doxxing someone in Connecticut<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The penalty for stalking and doxxing is a Class A misdemeanor in Connecticut, meaning perpetrators could face up to one year in jail and\/or a fine of up to $2,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"doxxing-related-activities-that-are-illegal-in-connecticut\">Doxxing Related Activities That Are Illegal in Connecticut&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Doxxing is closely associated with other illegal activities, each of which Connecticut has particular penalties for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"harassment\">Harassment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Harassment is a somewhat broadly defined law in Connecticut. Harassment in the second degree (<a href=\"https:\/\/casetext.com\/statute\/general-statutes-of-connecticut\/title-53a-penal-code\/chapter-952-penal-code-offenses\/part-xiv-breach-of-the-peace-harassment-and-related-offenses\/section-53a-183-harassment-in-the-second-degree-class-c-misdemeanor\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Conn. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 53a-183<\/a>) encompasses any not-in-person communication (such as via phone, email, text, or otherwise) intended to cause \u201cterror, intimidation, or alarm.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"560\" src=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-24-1024x560.png\" alt=\"Connecticut harassment law - Conn. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 53a-183\" class=\"wp-image-9128\" style=\"width:572px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-24-1024x560.png 1024w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-24-300x164.png 300w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-24-768x420.png 768w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-24.png 1156w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In Connecticut, harassment is a class C misdemeanor that can net the perpetrator up to three months in jail and\/or a $500 fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If someone uses the above methods to communicate an intent to kill or seriously injure another person (<a href=\"https:\/\/casetext.com\/statute\/general-statutes-of-connecticut\/title-53a-penal-code\/chapter-952-penal-code-offenses\/part-xiv-breach-of-the-peace-harassment-and-related-offenses\/section-53a-182b-harassment-in-the-first-degree-class-d-felony\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Conn. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 53a-182b<\/a>), then it\u2019s a class D felony leading to one to five years in state prison and\/or a $5,000 fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-25-1024x426.png\" alt=\"Connecticut harassment law (class D felony) - Conn. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 53a-182b \" class=\"wp-image-9130\" style=\"width:591px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-25-1024x426.png 1024w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-25-300x125.png 300w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-25-768x320.png 768w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-25.png 1173w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"stalking\">Stalking<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Like harassment, stalking is punishable by degrees in Connecticut.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stalking in the third degree (<a href=\"https:\/\/casetext.com\/statute\/general-statutes-of-connecticut\/title-53a-penal-code\/chapter-952-penal-code-offenses\/part-xiv-breach-of-the-peace-harassment-and-related-offenses\/section-53a-181e-stalking-in-the-third-degree-class-b-misdemeanor\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Conn. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 53a-181e<\/a>) is defined as recklessly (rather than intentionally or deliberately) following or lying in wait for someone to the point that the other person fears for their safety or suffers emotional distress.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"162\" src=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-26-1024x162.png\" alt=\"Connecticut stalking law - Conn. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 53a-181e\" class=\"wp-image-9131\" style=\"width:600px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-26-1024x162.png 1024w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-26-300x48.png 300w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-26-768x122.png 768w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-26.png 1174w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s a Class B misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and\/or a $1,000 fine.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stalking in the second degree (<a href=\"https:\/\/casetext.com\/statute\/general-statutes-of-connecticut\/title-53a-penal-code\/chapter-952-penal-code-offenses\/part-xiv-breach-of-the-peace-harassment-and-related-offenses\/section-53a-181d-stalking-in-the-second-degree-class-a-misdemeanor\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Conn. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 53a-181d<\/a>) is defined as <strong>intentionally <\/strong>following or lying in wait for someone to the point that the other person fears for their safety or suffers emotional distress. It also encompasses doxxing (as discussed above).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"833\" src=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-27-1024x833.png\" alt=\"Connecticut stalking in the second degree - Conn. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 53a-181d\" class=\"wp-image-9132\" style=\"width:516px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-27-1024x833.png 1024w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-27-300x244.png 300w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-27-768x625.png 768w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-27.png 1190w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Repeat offenders, as well as adults targeting minors and those who are stalking another person due to their race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability, or gender identity or expression, are guilty of stalking in the first degree (<a href=\"https:\/\/casetext.com\/statute\/general-statutes-of-connecticut\/title-53a-penal-code\/chapter-952-penal-code-offenses\/part-xiv-breach-of-the-peace-harassment-and-related-offenses\/section-53a-181c-stalking-in-the-first-degree-class-d-felony\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Conn. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 53a-181c<\/a>).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They face a Class D felony with penalties of one to five years imprisonment and\/or up to a $5,000 fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"273\" src=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-28-1024x273.png\" alt=\"Connecticut stalking in the first degree \" class=\"wp-image-9133\" style=\"width:623px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-28-1024x273.png 1024w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-28-300x80.png 300w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-28-768x204.png 768w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-28.png 1210w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"falsely-reporting-an-incident\">Falsely reporting an incident&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The act of calling law enforcement to report a fake crime (also known as swatting) is covered under Connecticut\u2019s legal code as \u201cfalsely reporting an incident\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/casetext.com\/statute\/general-statutes-of-connecticut\/title-53a-penal-code\/chapter-952-penal-code-offenses\/part-xiii-riot-and-related-offenses\/section-53a-180c-falsely-reporting-an-incident-in-the-second-degree-class-a-misdemeanor-or-class-c-felony\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Conn. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 53a-180c<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"346\" src=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-29-1024x346.png\" alt=\"Connecticut swatting law - Conn. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 53a-180c\" class=\"wp-image-9134\" style=\"width:583px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-29-1024x346.png 1024w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-29-300x101.png 300w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-29-768x260.png 768w, https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/media-29.png 1166w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In most cases, it\u2019s a Class A misdemeanor, leading to up to one year in jail and\/or a $2,000 fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Falsely reporting an incident is a Class E felony if the victim was targeted due to race, religion, ethnicity, disability, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In those cases, the penalty climbs to up to three years in prison and\/or a $3,500 fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"is-doxxing-illegal-at-the-federal-level\">Is Doxxing Illegal at the Federal Level?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At present, there is no <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/doxxing\/is-doxxing-illegal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">federal doxing law<\/a> in the US, which means that publishing someone else\u2019s personal information is not illegal at the federal level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That said, more and more states (including Connecticut but also <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/doxxing\/is-doxxing-illegal\/is-doxxing-illegal-in-california\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">California<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/doxxing\/is-doxxing-illegal\/is-doxxing-illegal-in-arizona\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Arizona<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/doxxing\/is-doxxing-illegal\/is-doxxing-illegal-in-illinois\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Illinois<\/a>) are enacting doxxing laws.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, even with legal protection at the state level, it\u2019s important for Connecticut residents to take their online safety into their own hands. Connecticut laws won\u2019t help you until you\u2019re doxxed, but once your information is out there, it\u2019s hard to get it back.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-to-protect-yourself-against-doxxing-in-connecticut-and-elsewhere\">How to Protect Yourself Against Doxxing In Connecticut (And Elsewhere)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To prevent doxxing, minimize your online footprint. To do so, you need to get an idea of where your information is online and then either hide or remove it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your first step should be to dox yourself (follow our <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/doxxing\/a-guide-to-doxxing-yourself-on-the-internet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">guide on self-doxxing<\/a> with these <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/doxxing\/doxxing-tools\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">doxxing tools<\/a> for step-by-step instructions). Doing so will give you a good idea of where your personal data vulnerabilities are and how to plug them up.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you\u2019ve done so, you\u2019ll likely need to take several steps to make yourself undoxxable. That generally includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Opting out of data brokers (companies that collect and sell your personal information for a minimal fee). Note that because brokers relist your data when they find more of it, you\u2019ll need to opt out repeatedly from each broker or subscribe to a <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">data broker removal service such as DeleteMe<\/a> to handle the opt-out process for you.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Making your social media accounts private rather than public.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Changing your usernames and passwords for each of your online accounts, and using unique ones for each new account you create moving forward.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Requesting the removal of your data from Google services and <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/doxxing\/how-to-remove-doxxing-content-on-google\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Google Search<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Avoiding giving out your personal information online.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>To find out more, read our in-depth guide on <a href=\"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/doxxing\/how-to-prevent-doxxing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">how to prevent doxxing<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you live in Connecticut and want to protect your online safety, you may have asked yourself: Is doxxing illegal in Connecticut?&nbsp; In this guide, we review whether or not doxxing is considered a crime in Connecticut and go over what doxxing-related activities are definitely going to result in criminal penalties in the state. Is [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":9135,"parent":8376,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-9126","doxxing","type-doxxing","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/doxxing\/9126","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/doxxing"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/doxxing"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9126"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/doxxing\/9126\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/doxxing\/8376"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9135"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/joindeleteme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9126"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}