Since January 1, 2024, doxing is a punishable crime under Dutch law. Doxing is distributing or otherwise making available identifying personal data of another person with the intention of intimidating that other person. 
From January 1, 2024, there will be more options to combat doxing:

• victims can report doxing;
• perpetrators are more easily prosecuted and punished;
• the police and the Public Prosecution Service immediately start an investigation after a report. Previously, this was only possible if other criminal offenses had also been committed, such as threats;
• victims receive more targeted help with deleting data, for example via HelpWanted or through an order from the public prosecutor;
• platforms make it easier to assess whether personal data should be deleted.

Doxing carries a maximum penalty of 2 years in prison or a fine of €22,500. The maximum prison sentence can be increased by a third if the doxing is aimed at people with a specific profession. Such as politicians, judges, journalists or care providers.

• Source protection. The Public Prosecution Service has recently changed the designation of criminal proceedings with regard to journalists. The new instruction makes explicit that if a journalist (possibly) comes into the picture as a third party when the special investigative tool ‘recording confidential communication’ is deployed, the same guarantees apply as if the deployment were directed against a journalist.