How a Leak by a New York Times Reporter Led to an Anti-Doxing Uproar in Australia

[JEWISH GROUP]

Early this year, the contents of a WhatsApp group for Jewish creative professionals and academics, set up in Australia after the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, leaked and fell into the hands of pro-Palestinian activists.

The activists posted snippets on social media, along with the names, photos and social-media page links of many of the group’s 600-odd members. Before long, members of the chat group faced online and in-person harassment—including threats and vandalism—repercussions that for some have continued several months later.

The incidents touched off a national debate in Australia, where the government subsequently said it would seek to curb doxing, the sharing of people’s personal details with malicious intent. Anti-doxing legislation is expected to be introduced in the country as soon as this month.

Throughout the crisis, it has remained a mystery how the chat thread leaked in the first place. The events were set in motion in January by a New York Times reporter, according to a Wall Street Journal review of the incident and statements from the Times.

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Frost, who remains on staff at the Times, said in a statement provided by a company spokeswoman: “I shared this document with one individual. Its subsequent dissemination and misuse happened entirely without my knowledge or consent. I was shocked by these events, which put me and many others at terrible risk. I deeply regret my decision.”

The Times reporter’s role in the chain of events that led to the harassment raises questions about the responsibilities of journalists to guard sensitive information they come across in their reporting, and the real-world consequences when such information leaks widely.

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The document she is referring to is the 900 pages of conversations she copied from the chat room.