I’d like to suggest that any questions or threads asking for personal information should be barred. Sharing personal details, even voluntarily, poses a real social engineering risk.
Sure, no one is forcing anyone to interact with those threads, but a new member or someone who currently doesn't think much about protecting their personal information, might end up sharing sensitive details regularly.
In that case, who would be responsible if something happens: the forum for allowing the environment where personal information is requested, or the individual who shared their details?
If you want to share your personal name go ahead, but beware that only one leak somewhere is needed to connect you with an email, SNN, mobile number etc.
Point 2.
Also you do not know if one random, disgrunted (ex-)member wants to have a piece of you and stalks you to whatever social you are using to Harras you or someone you know.
Point 3.
Even seemingly harmless information (like your city, school, or workplace) can be cross-referenced with other data to uncover your full identity.
Point 4.
Once shared, your personal info may be cached or archived by web crawlers, making it permanent and searchable even if you delete the original post. ( internet archive for example)
Point 5.
Sharing personal details can unintentionally expose others (friends, family, coworkers) who never consented to be included or associated with the content.
Point 6.
In heated discussions, revealing your identity makes you vulnerable to targeted harassment, blackmail, or reputational damage, especially if the topic is controversial.
Point 7.
Bad actors can use shared details to impersonate you, commit identity fraud, or hijack your online accounts using social engineering techniques. ( deepfakes?)
Point 8.
Protecting anonymity is especially important for users in sensitive situations such as whistleblowers, abuse survivors, or those in restrictive countries.
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In most cases, you likely cannot successfully sue the website just because someone misused the personal details you voluntarily shared — but here’s a breakdown:
1. User Responsibility
If you publicly posted your own personal information (e.g., name, location, contact info), most platforms are not legally liable for how others use that info. They typically have Terms of Service (ToS) stating you're responsible for what you post.
2. Platform Protections (Section 230 in the U.S.)
In the U.S., Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act gives websites legal protection from liability for user-generated content. So even if a third party uses your info maliciously, the platform is usually not at fault.
3. Exceptions
You might have a case if:
The site encouraged you to share personal info in a deceptive or unsafe way (e.g., misleading privacy settings).
The platform failed to remove doxxed info after you reported it (in some countries, this could violate data protection laws).
You’re in a country with strong data privacy laws (e.g., GDPR in the EU), where platforms have obligations even if you posted the data yourself.
Sure, no one is forcing anyone to interact with those threads, but a new member or someone who currently doesn't think much about protecting their personal information, might end up sharing sensitive details regularly.
In that case, who would be responsible if something happens: the forum for allowing the environment where personal information is requested, or the individual who shared their details?
Point 1.
If you want to share your personal name go ahead, but beware that only one leak somewhere is needed to connect you with an email, SNN, mobile number etc.
Point 2.
Also you do not know if one random, disgrunted (ex-)member wants to have a piece of you and stalks you to whatever social you are using to Harras you or someone you know.
Point 3.
Even seemingly harmless information (like your city, school, or workplace) can be cross-referenced with other data to uncover your full identity.
Point 4.
Once shared, your personal info may be cached or archived by web crawlers, making it permanent and searchable even if you delete the original post. ( internet archive for example)
Point 5.
Sharing personal details can unintentionally expose others (friends, family, coworkers) who never consented to be included or associated with the content.
Point 6.
In heated discussions, revealing your identity makes you vulnerable to targeted harassment, blackmail, or reputational damage, especially if the topic is controversial.
Point 7.
Bad actors can use shared details to impersonate you, commit identity fraud, or hijack your online accounts using social engineering techniques. ( deepfakes?)
Point 8.
Protecting anonymity is especially important for users in sensitive situations such as whistleblowers, abuse survivors, or those in restrictive countries.
-------
In most cases, you likely cannot successfully sue the website just because someone misused the personal details you voluntarily shared — but here’s a breakdown:
1. User Responsibility
If you publicly posted your own personal information (e.g., name, location, contact info), most platforms are not legally liable for how others use that info. They typically have Terms of Service (ToS) stating you're responsible for what you post.
2. Platform Protections (Section 230 in the U.S.)
In the U.S., Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act gives websites legal protection from liability for user-generated content. So even if a third party uses your info maliciously, the platform is usually not at fault.
3. Exceptions
You might have a case if:
The site encouraged you to share personal info in a deceptive or unsafe way (e.g., misleading privacy settings).
The platform failed to remove doxxed info after you reported it (in some countries, this could violate data protection laws).
You’re in a country with strong data privacy laws (e.g., GDPR in the EU), where platforms have obligations even if you posted the data yourself.
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