In the aftermath of the conviction of former President Donald Trump, online forums that have been implicated in previous mass shootings have been flooded with threats of violence and attempts to publicly identify the 12 New York jurors involved in the trial.

Immediately after the verdict was announced, anonymous users on pro-Trump forums began calling for "street justice" against the jurors. Others suggested that members of Trump's legal team should anonymously leak the names of the jury. These dangerous and inflammatory comments have raised concerns about the safety and well-being of the jurors involved.

Juror anonymity is meant to provide a layer of protection for those performing their civic duty. However, in recent years, the practice of doxxing - the act of sharing personal information such as names, addresses, and other details online - has become more common. The judge in the Trump New York trial had already issued an order in March to seal most information about the jurors, a decision that was not contested by Trump's defense team.

Unfortunately, anonymous internet users on sites known for hate and harassment disregarded the court order and started sharing personal information they believed belonged to jury members. This form of amateur online sleuthing, known as doxxing, can have real-life security implications. For instance, it can result in victims being falsely identified and becoming the targets of violent threats, both online and offline.

Ben Decker, the CEO of Memetica, a threat analysis company, highlighted the dangers of this type of behavior, stating that social media has given rise to a generation of amateur sleuthing lacking journalism standards and ethics. He emphasized that innocent individuals often become victims of mistaken identities and wrongful accusations, while those responsible for the doxxing face few consequences.

Not only are the jury members being targeted, but there has also been a rise in violent rhetoric directed towards other individuals involved in the case, such as the presiding judge, the district attorney, and journalists covering the trial. Researchers at Advance Democracy, a non-profit organization specializing in public-interest research, have identified these threats.

These incidents are not isolated. Last summer, the personal information of grand jurors in Fulton County, Georgia, circulated online after they voted to indict Trump. Similarly, after the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago in 2022, a federal judge had their information removed from websites due to online targeting.

Experts warn that the volume of violent online rhetoric seen in the 24 hours since Trump's conviction is comparable to the aftermath of the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago. John Cohen, former acting undersecretary for intelligence and analysis at the Department of Homeland Security, cautions that this alarming trend could be a precursor to future violence.

Law enforcement officials are particularly concerned as the elections draw near, as they anticipate foreign intelligence services and terrorist groups seizing on this vitriolic online environment to further amplify the threats.

Efforts to combat online harassment and protect the privacy and safety of those involved in high-profile cases must be stepped up. The rise of doxxing and the spread of violent rhetoric online pose significant challenges that require concerted action from both tech platforms and law enforcement agencies.

It remains crucial to ensure the safety and security of jurors, judges, attorneys, and journalists involved in high-stakes legal proceedings to uphold the integrity of the justice system and prevent potential acts of violence.