18 U.S.C. 119 prohibits making specified restricted personal information about a covered person publicly available with the required harmful intent or knowledge. It is not a general federal ban on publishing any address, and not every person is a covered target. [1]
Target, information, and state of mind
The statute defines restricted information and covered individuals, including specified federal personnel, witnesses, and related people. Section 1114 helps identify protected federal officers and employees in the statutory framework. [2]
The prosecution must establish the relevant connection to threatening, intimidating, inciting violence, or facilitating a crime of violence as the statute specifies. Context matters. A public-record source does not automatically defeat the offense when all elements are met, but offensive publication alone is not the entire test.
Response and evidence
The offense carries up to five years’ imprisonment. Other stalking, threat, or obstruction charges can involve different elements. [1]
Preserve the original post, URL, timestamp, surrounding messages, and evidence of intended harm. Report an immediate threat promptly and ask platforms to remove material through their proper channels. An accused person should preserve evidence and have counsel assess coverage and intent rather than deleting posts in a way that could create a separate obstruction issue.
Example: posting a protected person’s home details
The relevant analysis is not complete after finding that an address appeared in public records. Ask whether the target is covered, whether the information falls within the statutory definition, and whether the sender had the prohibited intent or knowledge. A message encouraging violence can change the context of publication, but the prosecution must still prove the actual charged elements. [1]
Someone threatened should preserve surrounding posts and replies as well as the personal information itself. A screenshot that shows an address without its accompanying threat can omit important evidence. Protect the information when reporting it so the report does not unnecessarily republish it to a wider audience.
A covered employee should also follow the employer’s security reporting procedures. A civil privacy claim, platform removal request, and section 119 prosecution can have different thresholds and remedies. An attorney evaluating a defense should distinguish an unsupported accusation of “doxing” from a specific federal charge with defined targets and state-of-mind requirements.
Repeated targeting can raise cyberstalking allegations. Removing the content requires a lawful takedown method.
Primary sources
- 18 U.S.C. § 119: Protection of individuals performing certain official duties
- 18 U.S.C. § 1114: Protection of officers and employees of the United States
Sources checked: October 31, 2026.