Address, number or workplace published in a channel: what to do in the first hours

In short

Warn straight away whoever lives at the published address and, if there are threats, call 112 (Italy) or 117 (Switzerland).

Save the evidence, then ask the platform, Google and the sites that show your data to remove it.

Do not confirm or deny the data: even a denial gives information.

Report it: spreading personal data to intimidate can be a crime.

Seeing your own address, phone number or family members’ names in a public channel is frightening. This practice is called doxxing. It is often used more to intimidate than to actually act, but it must be taken seriously. Here is what to do, in order.

1. Keep people safe

Warn whoever lives at the published address. Explain calmly what has happened, without dramatising.
If there are also threats of violence, call 112 in Italy or 117 in Switzerland.
Tell a trusted person in the neighbourhood who can report anything strange.
Agree as a family not to answer unknown numbers and not to give information over the phone. A code word helps to recognise fake calls.

2. Save the evidence

Before asking for removal, save links, screenshots with date and time and, if possible, the chat export. You will find the details in the article How to preserve evidence of online shaming on Telegram.

3. Report it

Take the evidence to the police. Spreading someone’s personal data to harm or intimidate them can be a crime, especially if accompanied by threats. Explain that the address has been published and since when: the police can assess whether protective measures are needed.

4. Ask for removal

From the platform: report the message or the channel. On Telegram, use the Report button and write to abuse@telegram.org with the links.
From Google: Google removes from search results the pages that show contact details together with threats or calls to harass. With the “Results about you” tool you can also ask to remove pages with your address, phone or email, where the service is available.
From the sites that show your data: you can ask for deletion under the GDPR (right to erasure, Article 17). It is free and they must reply within one month. If they do not reply, you can complain to the data protection authority (in Italy, the Garante privacy).

5. Reduce what can be found

In Switzerland you can ask your municipality to block the disclosure of your data to third parties (Datensperre). The rules vary from municipality to municipality.
Make your social media profiles private and remove your phone number, address and workplace.
Check your public photos: houses, number plates and regular places show where to find you.

The full guide is on the page Protect yourself.

Where the data comes from

The data circulating in these groups usually comes from old data leaks, social media profiles, public registers and services that resell information. Italian judicial investigations of recent years also show another source: people who have access to official databases and use them unlawfully. In the Milan investigation known as Equalize, the prosecutor’s office has requested a trial for 74 defendants with over 800 alleged injured parties; the proceedings are ongoing and the defendants are innocent until a final judgment.

One thing matters for you: reducing what can be found about you reduces the risk. The guide is in Protect yourself.

The data is often wrong

The documents circulating in the groups often contain errors: invented family ties, old addresses, people mistaken for others. Do not correct them publicly: even a denial gives information. Report the errors only to the police.

You are not alone

Doxxing is often part of a wider hate campaign, with shaming channels, defamation and threats. The same people target several victims: if you recognise yourself in this situation, write to us. Linking cases helps whoever investigates.

What to do now

Warn whoever lives at the address; if there are threats, 112 or 117.
Save the evidence.
Ask the platform, Google and the sites for removal.
Report it.
Reduce the data that can be found about you: Protect yourself.

Updated 14 October 2026. General information, not legal advice.