Early this year, the contents of a WhatsApp group for Jewish creative professionals and academics, set up in Australia after the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, leaked and fell into the hands of pro-Palestinian activists.
The activists posted snippets on social media, along with the names, photos and social-media page links of many of the group’s 600-odd members. Before long, members of the chat group faced online and in-person harassment—including threats and vandalism—repercussions that for some have continued several months later.
The incidents touched off a national debate in Australia, where the government subsequently said it would seek to curb doxing, the sharing of people’s personal details with malicious intent. Anti-doxing legislation is expected to be introduced in the country as soon as this month.
Throughout the crisis, it has remained a mystery how the chat thread leaked in the first place. The events were set in motion in January by a New York Times reporter, according to a Wall Street Journal review of the incident and statements from the Times.
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