No. Doxxing—publicly revealing private personal information with intent to harass or harm—violates Mississippi’s cyberstalking and harassment statutes under Miss. Code Ann. § 97-45-15. The state’s 2024 amendments to § 97-45-17 expanded protections against digital harassment, aligning with federal trends. Violations may trigger misdemeanor or felony charges, depending on intent and harm caused.
Key Regulations for Doxxing in Mississippi
- Miss. Code Ann. § 97-45-15 (Harassment): Prohibits knowingly using electronic communication to threaten, abuse, or harass another person, including publishing private data with malicious intent.
- Miss. Code Ann. § 97-45-17 (Cyberstalking): Criminalizes repeated electronic contact intended to intimidate or place a person in reasonable fear of bodily harm, with penalties escalating to felony status if the victim is a minor or vulnerable adult.
- Local Ordinances: Jackson and Gulfport have enacted municipal codes mirroring state laws, empowering local law enforcement to pursue doxxing cases under municipal court jurisdiction, particularly in cases involving public officials or minors.
Enforcement prioritizes cases with clear intent to incite violence, stalking, or severe emotional distress. The Mississippi Attorney General’s Cyber Crimes Unit collaborates with the FBI’s Mississippi Cyber Task Force to investigate cross-jurisdictional doxxing incidents. Entities failing to mitigate doxxing risks—such as social media platforms—may face secondary liability under Miss. Code Ann. § 97-45-19, which addresses negligent facilitation of harassment.