Sharing Personal Information
In a group chat, the man shared a photo of an officer at the end of April, asking for payment in exchange for the personal information of this colleague. The police received a report of this and immediately launched an investigation, tracking down the suspect. After several attempts to arrest the suspect, the police were finally able to apprehend the 31-year-old man from Soesterberg on the evening of May 6 in Amersfoort. The man is in custody for further questioning.
What is Doxing?
Doxing is the malicious gathering or (further) dissemination of personal, sensitive, or private information such as home address, phone number, a photo (e.g., facial image), employers name, and information about family or combinations thereof. In short, personal data is any information that can be used to identify a person.
Increased Criminalization
The law (Article 285d of the Penal Code) states that if a victim of doxing belongs to a specific professional group, the penalty is increased by one third. This includes, among others, the King, members of the cabinet, the Kings Commissioner, provincial executive members, mayors, aldermen, members of general representative bodies, judicial officers, lawyers, journalists, special investigative officers, and police officers.
Reporting Doxing?
If you are a victim of doxing, you can report and/or file a complaint. The police take doxing seriously and can provide advice on the various options. Read more about it here.