Prohibit Doxing of a Minor

2025-2026 Bill 786: Prohibit Doxing of a Minor - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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S. 786
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Senator Grooms
Companion/Similar bill(s): 4779
Document Path: SR-0463KM26.docx
Introduced in the Senate on January 13, 2026
Currently residing in the Senate Committee on
Judiciary
Summary: Prohibit Doxing of a Minor
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

1/13/2026

Senate

Introduced and read first time (
Senate Journal-page 53
)

1/13/2026

Senate

Referred to Committee on
Judiciary
(
Senate Journal-page 53
)

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
01/13/2026

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION
16-3-1732
SO AS TO PROHIBIT THE DOXING OF A MINOR, TO PROVIDE PENALTIES FOR
DOXING A MINOR, AND TO PROVIDE RELEVANT DEFINITIONS.

B
e it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

S
ECTION 1.
C
hapter 3, Title 16 of the S.C. Code is amended by
adding:

S
ection
16-3-1732
.
(
A) As used in this
section:

(
1)
"Close relation" means a current or former spouse or domestic partner, parent,
child, sibling, stepchild, stepparent, or grandparent of a person; a person who
regularly resides or within the prior six months resided in the same household
as that person; a person with a significant personal or professional
relationship with that person; or a pet of that person or of that person's
household or family.

(
2)
"Disclosure" means the dissemination, distribution, circulation, sharing,
posting, publishing, transmittal, or release of information through electronic
or other means.

(
3)
"Doxing of a minor" means the intentional, knowing, or reckless disclosure by a
person of personal identifying information of a minor, when the person making
the disclosure consciously disregards a substantial risk that the disclosure
will cause, and in fact the disclosure either directly or indirectly causes:

(
a)
a course of conduct directed at or concerning the minor or a close relation of
the minor that constitutes stalking or harassment pursuant to this article;

(
b)
physical harm to the minor or a close relation of the minor;

(
c)
serious damage to the property of the minor or a close relation of the minor;
or

(
d)
the minor or a close relation of the minor to reasonably fear for the minor's
physical safety or to reasonably fear for the physical safety of a close
relation of the minor.

(
4)
"Personal identifying information" means:

(
a)
any of the following that the minor has not made public and has not authorized
another person to make readily apparent to the general public:

(
i)
biometric data;

(
ii) home address, personal email
address, or personal telephone number;

(
iii) employer's name, address, or
telephone number; address of employer's website; the minor's work e-mail
address; or the minor's work telephone number;

(
iv) school name, address, or
telephone number; address of the school's website; or the minor's school email
address;

(
v)
social security number, passport number, driver's license number, or state-issued
identification card number;

(
vi) credit or debit card number;

(
vii) citizenship status;

(
viii) medical, financial,
educational, consumer, or employment information or records; or

(
ix) a photograph or video recording
that was not taken or recorded in a public place and that has not previously been
made available to the general public; or

(
b)
a photograph or likeness of a minor, including a photograph that was taken in a
public place or that has previously been made available to the general public
but contained none of the minor's personally identifiable information, in
combination with:

(
i)
the minor's legal name, prior name, alias, or date or place of birth;

(
ii) information about the minor's
relationship to a close relation; or

(
iii) any item of information
concerning the minor;

(
c)
a video recording of a minor, including a video recording that was recorded in
a public place or that has previously been made available to the general public
but contained none of the minor's personally identifiable information, in
combination with:

(
i)
the minor's legal name, prior name, alias, or date or place of birth;

(
ii) information about the minor's
relationship to a close relation; or

(
iii) any item of information
concerning the minor.

(
B) A
person who engages in the doxing of a minor is guilty of a felony and, upon
conviction, must be fined not more than five thousand dollars, imprisoned not
more than five years, or both.

(
C) A
minor may bring a civil action against a person who violates this section for
injunctive relief, actual damages, compensatory damages, punitive damages, any
combination of those remedies, or any other appropriate relief. A plaintiff who
prevails in a civil action under this section is entitled to an award of
attorney's fees and costs.

S
ECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval
by the Governor.

----XX----

This web page was last updated on January 13, 2026 at 12:44 PM