US Immigration Officials Are Online, Despite Claim of 'Doxing' Risks - By Using the Same Platform as Ordinary People
A group of Homeland Security Department (DHS) employees and immigration officials have been unwittingly putting themselves at risk by creating profiles on LinkedIn. In an effort to deter people from publicly revealing their identities online, DHS has described this behavior as "doxing" – a term that carries severe penalties under federal law.
The issue came to light last week when the ICE List website, which contains information about nearly 4,500 DHS employees, went viral. However, an analysis of the site found that most of its content was obtained from publicly available sources such as LinkedIn profiles. ICE List's owner, Dominick Skinner, argues that creating a profile on the platform does not constitute "doxing."
Skinner notes that by using public platforms like LinkedIn, the information shared online could be used to reveal an individual's identity. "If this were doxing," he said, "then we dox ourselves by simply being present in online environments – which is rather ridiculous."
However, a WIRED investigation found that nearly 90% of the profiles listed on ICE List mention LinkedIn as a source of information. Other linked profiles are incomplete or lack photos, suggesting that some individuals may have shared more sensitive information than others.
The controversy raises questions about the balance between online safety and freedom of speech. In recent months, DHS officials have emphasized the risks of doxing to justify wearing masks in public to protect their identities. They claim this is necessary due to the use of facial recognition technology and malicious social media actors.
Despite the risks associated with sharing personal information online, many DHS employees seem to be following established best practices when it comes to maintaining an online presence. Some even post New Year's resolutions, motivational posts about leadership, and declare themselves open to new work opportunities.
A group of Homeland Security Department (DHS) employees and immigration officials have been unwittingly putting themselves at risk by creating profiles on LinkedIn. In an effort to deter people from publicly revealing their identities online, DHS has described this behavior as "doxing" – a term that carries severe penalties under federal law.
The issue came to light last week when the ICE List website, which contains information about nearly 4,500 DHS employees, went viral. However, an analysis of the site found that most of its content was obtained from publicly available sources such as LinkedIn profiles. ICE List's owner, Dominick Skinner, argues that creating a profile on the platform does not constitute "doxing."
Skinner notes that by using public platforms like LinkedIn, the information shared online could be used to reveal an individual's identity. "If this were doxing," he said, "then we dox ourselves by simply being present in online environments – which is rather ridiculous."
However, a WIRED investigation found that nearly 90% of the profiles listed on ICE List mention LinkedIn as a source of information. Other linked profiles are incomplete or lack photos, suggesting that some individuals may have shared more sensitive information than others.
The controversy raises questions about the balance between online safety and freedom of speech. In recent months, DHS officials have emphasized the risks of doxing to justify wearing masks in public to protect their identities. They claim this is necessary due to the use of facial recognition technology and malicious social media actors.
Despite the risks associated with sharing personal information online, many DHS employees seem to be following established best practices when it comes to maintaining an online presence. Some even post New Year's resolutions, motivational posts about leadership, and declare themselves open to new work opportunities.
. It seems like they're relying on people being responsible with their online presence, which isn't a bad assumption, but still – it's 2025 and we've had two decades of doxing concerns 
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. Just because you don't see someone trying to hack into your account doesn't mean you shouldn't be careful what you share online 
. And honestly, it's a bit laughable that they're worried about doxing when some of the profiles on ICE List are basically begging for info 
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. It's all about finding that balance between freedom of speech and protecting sensitive information 
. Like, it's a public profile, you know? If you put something online, it's gonna be seen by someone. And yeah, some of these profiles do look pretty basic 
. I don't think that's necessarily an issue, but at the same time, if you're gonna share info on the internet, you should probably expect it to get shared back.
. If you're worried about people finding out who you are online, just be careful what you post, right? Don't be sharing super personal info on social media or anything. And if someone does figure out your identity online, that's not the end of the world.
. Just my two cents.
. And yeah, I guess it is weird that some of these official types are just kinda chillin' online, sharing their personal lives... but hey, if they wanna be open about it, why not? 
just heard that 4,500+ DHS employees are basically online advertising their personal info on LinkedIn 
what if these people use this as an opening for identity theft or stalking? shouldn't they use a private platform like encrypted services instead of sharing their personal details openly? it's not "doxing" when you're not trying to reveal someone's identity, right? 
like what's the difference between sharing online info and, say, updating your facebook profile? 
or is it just a matter of who's allowed to share their info online? 
I mean, what's the point of creating a profile on LinkedIn if you're not gonna be visible? It seems like these guys are trying too hard to hide their identities online. If they're really that concerned about doxing, why bother sharing personal info in the first place? 
. I mean, come on, it's not that hard to understand why people would wanna exploit that kinda info. And what's with the whole "if you're worried about doxing, just don't be online" vibe?