How Musk and the right are trying to recast reporting as 'doxxing'

Trump's allies seen intimidating those seeking to hold the govt accountable

- Ken Bensinger

For years, journalists have written about the social media posts of government employees to help reveal the positions, motivations and actions of public officials.

But when a journalist recently trained that same lens on Mr Elon Musk's new government efficiency programme, the billionaire suggested that the reporting might be illegal, joining other powerful figures connected to the Trump administration who have made similar claims in recent weeks.

The offence, they argue, is doxxing: publishing private information about someone with malicious intent. The term refers to a revenge tactic, originally used by hackers, to bully, harass or intimidate people online, and can incite third parties to commit acts of violence.

Mr Musk and others have now expanded the definition, applying it to journalists and others seeking to hold the government accountable by reporting on public information. One Justice Department official appointed by President Donald Trump stated early last week that he had found evidence of lawbreaking from people who were "targeting" employees of Mr Musk's government efficiency programme.

Although the official did not name names, civil liberty and free speech groups said his comments appeared to refer to several journalists who had recently uncovered new details about Mr Musk's efforts, including identifying some of the people working for him.

Those advocates say that the First Amendment explicitly protects the kind of work reporters do and that government employees are by definition not protected from critical inquiry.

Instead, they say, Mr Musk and others are trying to intimidate and chill the media at a crucial moment.

"The term 'doxxing' has become unmoored from its origins to mean that someone posted something on the Internet that I would rather not see," said Mr Will Creeley, legal director for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a free speech group best known as Fire.