HB532 Alabama 2022 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Shane StringerRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2022

Title

Doxing, crime of created, penalties

Summary

HB532 would create a new crime of doxing in Alabama, making it illegal to publish someone’s personal identifying information to harass, harm, or impede them, with specified penalties.

What This Bill Does

It establishes the crime of doxing and sets penalties for violations. It defines Personal Identifying Information (PII) to include addresses, phone numbers, emails, photos (including of victims’ children and their schools), and other details that could be used to locate or harass someone. It applies to private individuals as well as public servants like law enforcement officers and firefighters, with intent requirements and actual harassment or impediment needed for conviction. The bill notes it creates a new crime and is exempt from certain local-funding voting requirements under the constitutional amendment.

Who It Affects

• Private individuals whose personal identifying information could be published or shared to harass or harm them, making them potential victims and subject to penalties.
• Public servants such as law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other public officials whose identifying information is published with intent to harass, harm, or impede their governmental duties, making them potential targets and subject to penalties.

Key Provisions

• Creates the crime of doxing and prohibits intentionally publishing, posting, or providing another person’s personal identifying information with the intent that others will harass or harm the person, with actual harassment or harm resulting.
• Also prohibits publishing PII of a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or public servant with the intent that others will harass, harm, or impede the duties of that person, with actual harassment, harm, or impediment.
• Defines Personal Identifying Information to include home/work addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, photographs (including of the victim’s children and their schools), and any other information that could enable locating or harassing the person.
• Penalties: first violation is a Class A misdemeanor; second or subsequent violations are Class D felonies.
• Specifies that, although the bill involves expenditure considerations, it is exempt from certain local-funding requirements because it creates a new crime.
• Effective date: the act becomes law on the first day of the third month after it passes and is approved.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Crimes and Offenses