February 3, 2026
Dox or democracy?
Data Brokers Can Fuel Violence Against Public Servants
Is privacy only for officials while the rest of us get sold to data brokers
TLDR: A new report says state privacy laws let data brokers sell public-record info, leaving public servants exposed to doxxing and rising threats. Comments erupt: privacy should protect everyone, some want to ban data brokers, others doubt the danger hype—making a fight over who gets safety and who gets sold.
Justin Sherman’s new report says a “data-to-violence pipeline” is real: state privacy laws let data brokers sell public-record info like home addresses, and public servants can’t force agencies to hide their details. The PSA/Impact Project tracked rising threats, especially at the local level, and warns online intimidation can escalate offline. Cue the chills.
But the comments lit up. Is privacy only for officials? One camp calls the proposal a “two-tier surveillance state,” arguing protections should cover everyone, not just people with government titles. Others go nuclear: just ban data brokers, full stop. Another chorus points at Big Ad money, saying reform means fighting a lobby “boss” with a billion-dollar war chest. Skeptics push back, asking if threat follow-through is actually higher for public servants, while conspiracy-curious folks say the “threat talk” feels overblown and suspiciously timed with election drama.
Humor slipped in amid the doom: ban-hammer GIFs, “Delete my data” memes, and jokes about needing witness protection just to serve on a school board. The vibe? Spiraling anxiety meets righteous rage. Whether you fear doxxers or distrust lawmakers, the community agrees on one thing: privacy is broken, and the fix won’t be easy—or cheap.
Key Points
- •A PSA Security Project report by Justin Sherman finds state consumer privacy laws fail to adequately protect public servants from doxing and related risks.
- •Across 19 state laws reviewed, none allow public servants to compel redaction of their personal data from public records.
- •None of the laws restrict data brokers from selling personal data obtained from public sources, and none include a private right of action for individuals.
- •PSA and The Impact Project’s review of 1,600 threats (2015–2025) shows threats to local officials are common, with threatening statements occurring ~9x more than physical attacks and capable of escalation.
- •Additional context includes a 2024 Brennan Center report on demographic disparities in abuse and a Minnesota case highlighting the role of people search engines in targeting officials.