KDSN RADIO News
Anti-doxxing bill clears initial review in Iowa House
A subcommittee in the Iowa House has approved an “anti-doxxing” bill, to make it a crime to try to intimidate or harass someone by posting their address or other personal information online.
Due to today’s weather, no one from the public testified during the subcommittee’s hearing, but Representative Samantha Fett read aloud the written statement submitted by Jenn Turner, a chapter chair of “Moms for Liberty.”
“I remember the first time a post was shared about me that my address was posted publicly in an opposing group by a former member of this very House of Representatives. This resulted in hate mail and harassment for the following months,” Turner said in her statement. “…I cannot believe we live in a day where we have to legislate being a decent human, but here we are. For anyone to attempt to put other’s livelihoods in jeopardy because of their differences and their families in danger is unacceptable.”
The bill defines doxxing as posting photos or videos of someone or the person’s phone number, home or email addresses, place of employment or similar information about their family without a legitimate purpose, to threaten, intimidate, annoy or alarm the individual. Those found guilty of this type of online harassment could be sentenced to up to two years in prison and ordered to pay a fine of over $8500.
A Democrat and a Republican on the three-member subcommittee raised concerns about the bill’s wording and scope,
suggesting it needs editing before the bill is considered by the House Public Safety Committee.
Thirteen states have adopted some form of an anti-doxxing law. Ten states make this kind of online harassment of anyone a crime. Minnesota’s anti-doxxing law only applies to law enforcement officials, while the laws in Colorado and Oklahoma apply to a specific list of government officials.
