Personal data of more than five in 10 secondary school pupils disclosed online, as study sheds light on ‘doxxing’ in Hong Kong
Polytechnic University study found 12 per cent had ‘doxxed’ someone else, with boys more likely to spread information about people they dislike, while girls did it for those they like
More than half of Hong Kong’s secondary school pupils have had personal information and photos splashed across social media and instant messaging apps without their consent, a survey has found.
And among the victims, more than 20 per cent felt between mild and extremely severe depression and anxiety, while close to 16 per cent said they felt stressed.
The survey of 2,120 Form Two to Form Five pupils was conducted by Polytechnic University earlier this year, to shed light on the practice known as “doxxing” – the act of tracking down personal details about others and circulating them, usually fuelled by malice. The word evolved from 1990s hacker terminology and uses the shorthand word “doc” for documents. It was a tactic to expose an opponent to harassment or legal repercussions.
Professor Edward Chan, who led the study, said the pupils who had been doxxed felt helpless and unsure of where to seek guidance. They might not think it was a big enough deal to call police, while social workers could not resolve the problem, he said. Neither was there legislation to force social media platforms to take down posts.
“Some tend to resort to revenge and it becomes a vicious cycle,” Chan, from PolyU’s department of applied social sciences, said.
