Bill > H4779

This bill creates a new law in South Carolina that criminalizes "doxxing," which is the act of intentionally publishing personal identifying information about an individual with the purpose of causing harassment or harm. The bill specifically defines doxxing as unlawful when someone electronically posts home addresses, photographs of children, or other information that could enable harassment, either against any individual or specifically targeting law enforcement officers, firefighters, or public servants. The law provides detailed definitions for these terms and establishes graduated penalties: a first offense is a misdemeanor punishable by up to three years in prison, while subsequent offenses become felonies with potential imprisonment of up to twenty years. The bill includes important protections for First Amendment political speech and allows for publication of official contact information for lobbying purposes. To be considered a crime, the published information must be shared with the intent that others will use it to harass or harm the individual, and actual harassment or harm must occur. The law is designed to protect individuals, especially public servants, from targeted online harassment while maintaining reasonable exceptions for legitimate public discourse.