Going further · Step 10 of 13

Your household

The people you live with and are related to can reveal where you are, even when you are careful yourself. This step helps you talk with them about it in a way that works for everyone.

How family and friends can expose you

Doxers often share more than your own details. Names of family members are among the things that get shared.¹

People-search reports can list the names and addresses of your family members.² Your information can also show up in reports about your relatives, neighbors, or people you know, even after you opt out of a site yourself.² Step 6 covers opting out.

Family news is another source. Wedding announcements and obituaries are common places doxers find information.¹

Step 9 covered what your own photos and posts can reveal about where you are. The same goes for photos other people take of you, your home, or your street.

Before you talk

Other people get to make their own choices about what they post. You can't control that. What you can do is explain why this matters to you and ask for a few specific things.

You don't have to share every reason. "I'm trying to keep our address offline" is enough. Keep it friendly, and ask for specific things.

What to do

1. Start with the people who matter most: the people you live with, close family, and anyone who posts about you often.
2. Ask them not to post your address or street name, or photos that show your house number, the front of your building, or your car's license plate.
3. Ask them to wait until you've left a place before posting photos of you there, and not to "check you in."
4. Ask them not to tag you, or to ask you first. Then check your own tag settings. Step 5 covers those.
5. If your family writes a public announcement, like a wedding, birth, or obituary notice, ask them to leave out your address and where you live.¹
6. Agree as a household that no one will confirm where you live, or when you're home, to someone who calls or messages to ask.
7. If they are willing, share this path with them. Their own people-search listings can point to you,² so their opt-outs help you too.

Kids and teens

The FTC says the best way to protect kids online is to talk with them.³ It suggests telling kids to keep things like their street address and phone number private,³ and to limit location features so they aren't broadcasting their location to the world.³

The FTC also suggests that kids get permission before posting photos or videos of other people, and it reminds them that once they post something, they can't take it back.³

1. Explain, calmly and simply, why your family keeps your address private.
2. Sit down together and look at the privacy settings on their accounts. Many social and video accounts have privacy settings you can adjust.³
3. Agree on a few family rules about what not to post. The FTC says talking about your family's rules and expectations is key to helping kids build good online habits.⁴
4. Before you post about your kids yourself, look for anything that shows their school name, team, or where they spend their day.

FTC advice for parents: Protecting Kids Online

Roommates and shared homes

Roommates and guests may post photos at your home without thinking about it. A simple request helps: "Please don't post the outside of our place or tag our address." If you share a building, you can make the same request in a group chat or on a building page.

Some people will say no, and that is their choice. If that happens, focus on what you can control: your own accounts, your own listings, and the rest of this path.

Last checked: November 8, 2026