Online harassment, doxxing, and cyberstalking

The following information is intended to connect all UC Berkeley members — faculty, students, staff, and visitors — to support if they concerned about or are experiencing online harassment, doxxing, or cyberstalking. Experiences of online harassment can cause significant distress and disruption. The following resources are available to offer help. You are encouraged to report incidents of harassment to the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination (OPHD) and/or to law enforcement. OPHD can also assist you with connecting to these resources or arranging supportive measures when appropriate. 

The new campus “Supportal” website is meant to help you find the best place to start in addressing a concern.

Protect yourself from "Doxxing"

From the Berkeley Office of Ethics

Resources to prevent and respond to online harassment

From the Berkeley Information Security Office

Tips to help prevent doxxing:

  • Adjust your social media settings:
    • Ensure that your profiles, usernames/handles are kept private
    • Remove any addresses, places of work, and specific locations from your accounts
    • Set your posts to “friends only"
    • Avoid discussing personal information
  • Use secure wi-fi networks like eduroam and/or a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
    • If you must use public wi-fi, turn off the public network sharing functionality on your device
  • Use strong passwords and vary usernames and passwords across platforms

Dealing with threats or harassment

You are encouraged to contact law enforcement directly if you experience physical harm, direct threats, or emergency situations.

  • In an emergency, please call 911 or use a blue light emergency phone (identified by a blue light on top of the phone box or column).
  • For on-campus non-emergencies, visit the University of California Police Department (UCPD) or call at (510) 642-6760.
  • For the City of Berkeley, visit Berkeley Police Department or call at (510) 981-5900.

The safety and well-being of our community members is of paramount importance. Our campus has zero tolerance for abusive behavior.

Adjusting campus directory information

  • If you are concerned about information about you that is available on the campus directory, visit the CalNet Directory and Privacy page for information.
  • Registered Student Organizations (RSOs): If you have questions about the protecting privacy for your RSO, including publicly-viewable CalLink information, please reach out to oasis.center@berkeley.edu.

Getting help and reporting

Reporting to UC Berkeley

Harassment that could be based on a protected category, including stalking, online harassment, or hate and bias incidents may be reported to the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination (OPHD) or the UC Whistleblower Hotline.

You may report to OPHD in any of the following ways: 

Confidential support for survivors of sexual violence and harassment

The UC Berkeley PATH to Care Center is the dedicated campus office offering confidential advocacy and healing services to students, staff, faculty, and visitors who has been impacted directly or indirectly by sexual violence or sexual harassment (SVSH), including invasions of sexual privacy and stalking.

  • For urgent 24/7 support, please call the Care Line at 510-643-2005. 
  • To schedule an appointment or ask general questions, please call the office at 510-642-1988 or email pathtocare@berkeley.edu.

Reporting privacy and security incidents

If the information exposed is UCB FERPA protected student data, personally identifiable information (examples include, but are not limited to Social Security Number, Drivers License Number, or home address), and/or information pertaining to physical or mental health conditions, it should be reported to the Privacy Office, privacyoffice@berkeley.edu(link sends e-mail)

If the incident involves unauthorized access to UC Berkeley electronic accounts or resources, please make a report to security@berkeley.edu

Other supportive resources

Mental health support

    • Students may receive mental health support at Counseling and Psychological Services (link is external)(CAPS) within University Health Services (UHS). 
      • Students with urgent needs should call (510) 642-9494 to speak with a counselor from Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
      • If you need to speak with a counselor urgently when UHS is closed, please call the 24/7 counseling line at (855) 817-5667. 
    • Be Well at Work - Employee Assistance(link is external) provides no-cost confidential counseling and referral for UC Berkeley faculty, staff, visiting scholars, and postdocs. It is also the employee assistance program for the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
    • Visit the Office of the Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Students’ Well-Being resource, which provides more information about holistic wellness resources across campus. To discover additional resources or share questions and concerns, reach out to deanofstudents@berkeley.edu.

Academic support

Academic Accommodations Hub: Should you be grappling with the impacts of this event, we encourage you to explore academic flexibility in consultation with your instructors.

Other support