(New York, NY, Thursday, September 9, 2021) – The Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (“WBASNY”) is deeply concerned that the dissemination of personal information on social media, or “doxxing”, of state officials at the highest level, is once again being used as a weapon of protest.

WBASNY has consistently spoken against doxxing private information for protest, as well as the unlawful publication of sexually explicit content without consent, also known as “revenge porn” or “sextortion”. These behaviors and practices are consistently and disproportionately weaponized against women.

WBASNY has supported and continues to support legislation that addresses these problems and encourages the legislature to continue to look at these practices and develop not only stronger legislation to address and criminalize these actions, but also the technology to minimize the long-term effects on the victims once the actions are taken.

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The Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (WBASNY) is the professional membership organization of choice for more than 4,000 attorneys throughout New York State, and the largest statewide women’s bar association in the country.  For four decades, WBASNY has been a singularly important resource for women lawyers, with professional networking, continuing legal education programming, leadership training, and advocacy for the rights of women, children, and families.  Through involvement with WBASNY’s 20 regional chapters and its 40-plus substantive law committees, WBASNY’s members collaborate with one another on a variety of issues and perform public and community service, in furtherance of its mission to promote the advancement of the status of women in society and women in the legal profession; to promote the fair and equal administration of justice; and to act as a unified voice for its members with respect to issues of statewide, national and international significance to women generally and women attorneys in particular. WBASNY holds United Nations NGO status with the U.N.’s Department of Public Information, and Special Consultative status in association with the U.N. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). WBASNY is also a founding member of the National Conference of Women’s Bar Associations.