There is this ignominious thing that constantly happens on social media platforms but it is more regular on Twitter where a user publishes another user’s private information like phone numbers, home addresses, office addresses, pictures of family members, etc on the timeline.
This act is done with the malicious intent to subject the victim to stalking, bullying or harassment by or from other users and it is commonly and legally referred to as doxing or swatting and is therefore generally considered a violation of the user’s privacy.
This act is highly prohibited and criminalized as well in many jurisdictions around the world; therefore, it is an illegal and criminal act to publish a user’s private information on social media. It is as well prohibited by Twitter’s policy/ users’ rules and regulations which have provided that any person who publishes another person’s private information without the express authorization or permission of the person if reported will have the post flagged down first for being in breach of the Twitter users’ policy and will as well have their account suspended or deleted as a form of punitive measure.
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Twitter and other social media platforms don’t just prohibit the actual sharing of another’s private information but also prohibits the threatening to expose the private information of users. The only exception to this is that you have previously obtained the person’s express consent or authorization to share his or her Private information or the private information you are sharing has already been made public by that user.
Publishing someone’s private information on Twitter or other social media platforms without their consent can be considered a crime with a jail term as punishment depending on the circumstances and the jurisdiction because in many jurisdictions around the world, doxing or swatting is considered a form of cyber harassment, cyberbullying, or cyberstalking which are all criminal offenses. Additionally, the publication of someone’s private information without their consent can also violate data protection and privacy laws as have been enshrined in numerous jurisdictions.
In Nigeria for instance, the Cybercrime Act of 2015 expressly prohibits cyber harassment, cyberstalking or cyberbullying and publishing another user’s private information is deemed as cyber harassment and cyberbullying and this carries an imprisonment term of not less than 5 years.
Therefore, it is important to be cautious when publishing the personal information of another user on social media platforms like Twitter and to obtain the necessary consent and authorization before sharing any private information so as not to get sued and end up in jail.
If you are the victim of doxing or swatting, you should report the incident to the appropriate authorities and seek legal counsel.