On Wednesday, Provost Angela V. Olinto and Interim Executive Vice President of University Life Melanie Bernitz announced the University’s new Anti-Doxxing and Online Harassment Policy, stating Columbia’s commitment to “fostering an inclusive, respectful, and safe community, in person and in online spaces.”

On Wednesday, March 12, Provost Angela V. Olinto and Interim Executive Vice President of University Life Melanie Bernitz announced a new Anti-Doxxing and Online Harassment Policy in an email to the Columbia community. The announcement comes after the recent doxxing of students involved in campus protests and those arrested at the conclusion of the March 5 sit-in in Barnard’s Milstein Center.

Olinto and Bernitz wrote Columbia is “committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful and safe community in person and in online spaces.” The Policy applies to all members of the Columbia community, intending to “preserve a community where students, faculty, staff, and other community members can do their best work.”

Under “Prohibited Conduct,” the Policy defines doxxing as the electronic or physical publication of an individual’s personal information such as their private email, personal phone number, or home address on various platforms that “intimidates, threatens, or harasses the individual or encourages additional harassment.”

The Policy defines online harassment as online communication that “intimidates, threatens, targets or otherwise causes harm to an individual, or individuals,” including but not limited to threats, insults, malicious impersonation, publicly sharing private information, and encouraging harassment.

The Policy affirms that an allegation of a person’s engagement in prohibited conduct, depending on its nature and status of the individual involved, will be referred to the appropriate office for review. The Center for Student Success and Intervention (CSSI), the Office of Institutional Equity (OIE), and Columbia University Human Resources will process the allegation(s). 

The Policy does not prohibit sharing information that is defined as public by law, regulation, or policy; it is not designed to “limit or prohibit lawful speech that does not otherwise violate University policies.” The Policy addresses potential concerns of online retaliation, emphasizing that retaliation against an individual for filing a complaint is strictly prohibited.

Complaints may be filed anonymously; however, the responsible office “cannot guarantee that reporter’s or complainant’s identity will not be disclosed if a resolution process were undertaken.” Complaints may also be filed against anonymous or group accounts; the Policy applies if the group is affiliated with Columbia, but the University’s ability to identify them is “limited.” The Policy is not enforceable for reports or incidents dated prior to March 12, 2025, the date on which the community was notified of the new guidelines.

To report an incident of potential doxxing or online harassment, the Policy links the OIE’s website and CSSI’s website; it also provides Doxxing Resources for University community members who have experienced doxxing and online targeting. 

Email from Columbia Provost Angela V. Olinto to the Columbia community at 11:11 AM on Wednesday, March 11:

Dear Columbia Community,  

Columbia University is committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and safe community, in person and in online spaces, for all our members. Our ability to engage in rigorous discourse and uphold the University’s values depends on us nurturing and maintaining a community built on mutual respect and responsibility.  

As our interactions are increasingly conducted online and via various platforms, it’s important that the University’s policies keep in step with those changes, to deter and make clear the unacceptable forms of online aggression that undermine our core values of open inquiry, integrity, and accountability. 

Today, the University is implementing a new Anti-Doxing and Online Harassment Policy. This policy applies to all members of the Columbia University community, including students, faculty, staff, and participants in University-affiliated groups, programs or activities, regardless of location. We encourage you to read the new policy and FAQ in full.

For those unfamiliar, doxing (sometimes spelled “doxxing”) is electronic or physical publication of an individual’s personal information (email, phone, address, images) with the intent to intimidate, threaten or harasses the individual, and/or encourage additional harassment of that individual. Online harassment includes online communication that intimidates, threatens, targets, or otherwise causes harm to an individual or individuals. This may include, but is not limited to, harassing messages, threats, or insults; impersonation for malicious purposes; publicly sharing personal or private information; and encouraging harassment of others. 

We want to be clear that this conduct is not acceptable or tolerated at Columbia and conduct that meets these definitions will be referred to the appropriate office for review and discipline. 

Columbia is committed to fostering a community where freedom of expression, open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and respectful debate are at the center of the student, faculty, and staff experience in our community. This policy update is a reflection of this priority and our ongoing work to advance our University’s mission and core values. 

Sincerely,

Angela V. Olinto

Provost

Professor of Astronomy and of Physics  

Melanie J. Bernitz

Interim Executive Vice President, University Life

Senior Vice President, Columbia Health

Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine (in the Center for Family and Community Medicine)

Authored by Daily Editor Eva Kabatas and Staff Writer Nadia Lam.

Header via Bwog Archive