How a Judge’s Ruling Sparked a Doxing Surge

Nothing lights up the internet like a power struggle, and right now, social media is littered with threats, leaks, and doxing campaigns against a federal judge who dared to cross the wrong people. The latest target? Judge Paul Engelmayer, whose ruling against the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has sent Musk fanatics and anonymous internet bros into a frenzy. 

The Trigger: Engelmayer’s Ruling 

On February 8, Judge Engelmayer issued a preliminary injunction blocking DOGE from snooping into sensitive Treasury records after 19 Democratic attorneys general sued to halt the program. It didn’t take long for Elon Musk—head of DOGE and Twitter’s rebranded overlord—to throw gasoline on the fire.

"A corrupt judge protecting corruption," Musk blasted on X, demanding Engelmayer’s impeachment. Within hours, the judge’s personal details were circulating online, and the floodgates to threats, harassment, and real-world dangers swung wide open.

The Mechanics of Modern Doxing

This isn’t just an isolated incident—it’s part of a larger trend where judges, journalists, and public officials who make the "wrong" ruling or hold the "wrong" opinions become targets of online mobs. Ron Zayas, CEO of Ironwall by Incogni, confirmed that doxing requests have spiked by 20% since January, with judicial officers and federal employees being prime targets.

The game plan is straightforward:

Identify the Target: Search for publicly available records, including home addresses, phone numbers, and employment history.

Amplify the Outrage: Get a prominent voice (like Musk) to fan the flames with viral posts.

Leak and Attack: Use forums, Telegram channels, and people-search databases to make sensitive information widely accessible.

Escalate the Threats: Harassing messages, coordinated complaints, and sometimes even real-world violence follow.

The Real-World Fallout: From Doxing to Violence

This isn’t just online tough talk. Federal judges received over 4,500 threats in 2021 alone, and things have only escalated. In 2023, Maryland Circuit Court Judge Andrew Wilkinson was shot and killed in his own driveway by an angry defendant.

Engelmayer hasn’t faced violence (yet), but his personal security has become a real concern. Online threats, harassment, and personal information leaks have skyrocketed in the wake of Musk’s outburst. And while Musk’s supporters frame this as "public accountability," what they’re really doing is opening the floodgates to intimidation and real-world danger.

What Happens Next?

As the saga continues, Republican Rep. Eli Crane has jumped into the fray, threatening to file articles of impeachment against Engelmayer for "judicial overreach." Meanwhile, privacy experts are sounding the alarm that this kind of digital vigilantism is only going to get worse.

Meanwhile, Musk is doubling down, suggesting that the "worst 1% of appointed judges should be fired every year." This is the kind of rhetoric that fuels doxing campaigns, silences judicial independence, and makes the internet an even more dangerous place–were that even possible.

It’s become clear that, in 2025, if you hold power, make a ruling, or just happen to be on the wrong side of the internet’s fury, your personal information could be next on the chopping block.

Scary.