No one wants to talk about doxxing, but the reality is we all need to…
You’re ready to take the plunge!
You’ve made the decision that the adult entertainment industry is for you, and you’ve come up with a clever stage name to delve into sexy media on the interwebs. It’s all anonymous, you can do whatever you want online, and no one will ever know who you “really” are — or, where you live — right?
Wrong.
Doxxing is something that most of us don’t think about when entering into the online world, but we all should. And for those of us entering the space as an adult content creator, model, or personality, thinking about doxxing is absolutely necessary.
Recently, top industry attorney Corey D. Silverstein took part in one of Loyalfans’ weekly Q&A meetings — events where we delve into important topics impacting our industry and, thus, creators leveraging Loyalfans.
The Q&A ran for a full hour, and it was packed with useful tidbits and helpful resources shared with the Loyalfans creators in attendance. The following is a condensed version of the doxxing discussion with just some key highlights to get you thinking. If you have questions, please reach out to Silverstein at myadultattorney.com for more information.
What is doxxing?
According to Silverstein, “Doxxing is really anytime someone publishes information in a public forum that is generally identifying or private about a particular person, typically with malicious intent.”
He then went on to cover three main topics:
— How to help avoid doxxing in the first place
— What to do immediately once you’ve been doxxed
— What can you do to fight back (over time)
Stop the dox before it starts!
According to Silverstein, inadvertently making personal information public is a gateway to doxxing. This can happen by accident or by trusting people with sensitive information, among many other ways. It’s small details we share without even thinking twice that start unraveling your online anonymity.
Another key point from Silverstein involves doing your due diligence and vetting platforms, services, and producers before sharing your personal information.
“You want to always vet who you are going to provide your data to,” he stated. “If a new platform pops up and no one knows anything about them, don’t go there. Slow down and take a second to find out where your information is going. Ask questions and do your research.”
Silverstein also suggested a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) as an added layer of protection.
“You may also want to get an NDA, especially from smaller companies or other creators,” he suggested. “An NDA can specify what information is considered confidential and what isn’t and ensures that the person you are sending the information to is contractually required to keep your information a secret — to not disclose it.”
“But be cautious,” Silverstein added. “An NDA is only a piece of paper, which is only as good as the person that signs it.”
So you’ve been doxxed — Step away from the keyboard!
According to Silverstein, the first thing you should do when you find out you’ve been doxxed is to step away from the keyboard. Stop engaging, stop responding, and stop trying to unravel any damage. This is often a crisis moment for people and making key decisions in times of heightened stress is often a poor choice.
“Don’t panic, and go dark on social media,” Silverstein advised. “Do not negotiate or interact with the doxxer. Call the credit bureaus and freeze your credit cards. You have to stop the spread of the information.”
The second thing you should do, after stepping away from your keyboard, is call your lawyer.
Fighting Back: The Long Game
Between the money and the time (and the stress) and the fact that your private information is now out there in the ethers — and the internet is forever so it’s never coming back — is fighting back against a doxxer even worth it?
According to Silverstein, the answer is “absolutely.”
“Though everything on the internet is there forever, you need to go after doxxers,” Silverstein said. “They are criminals. They want to hurt you, and criminals need to be held accountable for their actions.”
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