Despite the many changes of the World Wide Web over the years, one thing about still remains. Most of us often take it for granted – remaining anonymous online. Boon or curse, this feature is now the source of many online problems even forcing hosting providers to take actions. The ability to remain anonymous has led to what’s known in the internet realm as ‘Doxxing’. Many companies in the web hosting Dubai industry are now asked about their measures against the looming threat of doxxing.

What is Doxxing

On the internet, you can keep your real identity a secret. So you can’t trust someone to be who they say they are. This online anonymity also brings out the worst in people as they don’t need to be concerned about the consequences due to their anonymity. 

Though leading companies in the domain registration UAE sector generally don’t help anonymous people register domains, the practice still exists. Despite its drawbacks, anonymity remains one of the most alluring things about online interactions. It’s one of the many ways how many people register domains. 

Due to this, taking down a person’s anonymity online is considered as the best way to hurt someone from afar. The act of revealing the identity of an anonymous person online is known as doxxing, also spelled as ‘doxing’. 

Doxxing isn’t generally illegal though it violates the terms of service of many websites. Doxxing may even result in a ban on many websites and forums. It may be considered illegal depending on the specific information revealed or under laws to fight stalking. While revealing someone’s real name may not cause trouble, revealing other private information of someone like home address or phone number could be considered a more serious offense. 

If you don’t want people you anonymously interact with online knocking on your door, you can take a few measures.

• Try not to give personally identifiable information on various websites on the internet
• Contact your hosting provider to see if you can implement WHOIS protection to conceal your data through domain registrar
• Use trusted proxies or VPNs to protect your IP
• Use different usernames for online gaming and other activities
• Use multi-factor authorization if possible
• Make sure your private information aren’t exposed to the public on social media platforms