(a)Every person who, with intent to place another person in reasonable fear for his or her safety, or the safety of the other person’s immediate family, by means of an electronic communication device, and without consent of the other person, and for the purpose of imminently causing that other person unwanted physical contact, injury, or harassment, by a third party, electronically distributes, publishes,
e-mails, hyperlinks, or makes available for downloading, personal identifying information, including, but not limited to, a digital image of another person, or an electronic message of a harassing nature about another person, which would be likely to incite or produce that unlawful action, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in a county jail, by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment.
(b)For purposes of this section, “electronic communication device” includes, but is not limited to, telephones, cell phones, computers, Internet Web pages or sites, Internet phones, hybrid cellular/Internet/wireless devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), video recorders, fax machines, or pagers. “Electronic communication” has the same meaning as the term is defined in Section 2510(12) of Title 18 of the United States Code.
(c)For purposes of this section, the following terms apply:
(1)“Harassment” means a knowing and willful course of conduct directed at a specific person that a reasonable person would consider as seriously alarming, seriously annoying, seriously tormenting, or seriously terrorizing the person and that serves no legitimate purpose.
(2)“Of a harassing nature” means of a nature that a reasonable person would consider as seriously alarming, seriously annoying, seriously tormenting, or seriously terrorizing of the person and that serves no legitimate purpose.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in
9
cases (
7 in the last 5 years), 2015–2025 · leading case:
People v. Shivers, No. JAD15-02 (Cal. Ct. App. Apr. 15, 2015).
People v. Shivers, No. JAD15-02 (Cal. Ct. App. Apr. 15, 2015).
· cites it 7× “Penal Code section 653.2 1. Sufficiency of evidence Defendant contends there was insufficient evidence presented to convict him of violating Penal Code section 653.”
People v. Shivers, 235 Cal. App. Supp. 4th 8 (Cal. App. Dep’t Super. Ct. 2015).
· cites it 7× “Penal Code section 653.2 1. Sufficiency of evidence Defendant contends there was insufficient evidence presented to convict him of violating Penal Code section 653.”
People v. Libich, No. B298370M (Cal. Ct. App. May 13, 2021).
“was a natural and probable consequence of the commission of the Penal Code section 653.2(a) against Leandra Y.”
Griffin v. Stowe, No. E076973 (Cal. Ct. App. May 19, 2022).
“(b)), posting personal identifying information for the purposes of causing harassment by a third party (Pen. Code, § 653.2, subd. (a)), and making a criminal threat (Pen.”
Scallon v. Arche, No. B325927 (Cal. Ct. App. Dec. 6, 2023).
“3 Penal Code section 653.2 makes it a misdemeanor to electronically distribute personal identifying information with the intent to place another person in reasonable fear for his or her safety.”
Coleman v. People State of California, No. 4:21-cv-00049 (N.D. Cal. Feb. 28, 2022).
“9 (b)); of online harassment 16 ( Cal. Penal Code § 653.2 ), and of violating the terms of his probation ( Cal.”
E.G. v. M.L., No. H051526 (Cal. Ct. App. Oct. 3, 2024).
“(Pen. Code, § 653.2.) Under this section, the law criminalizes electronic distribution of a harassing message with the intent to place that person in reasonable fear for their safety, where the electronically published material contains “personal identifying information,…”
Morris v. Ziegler, No. B333812 (Cal. Ct. App. Aug. 14, 2025).
“The court struck Morris’s remaining claim, ruling that the criminal statute prohibiting doxing (Pen. Code, § 653.2) does not provide a private right of action, and thus cannot be pursued in a civil suit.”
Morris v. Ziegler, No. B333812M (Cal. Ct. App. Sept. 10, 2025).
“The court struck Morris’s remaining claim, ruling that the criminal statute prohibiting doxing (Pen. Code, § 653.2) does not provide a private right of action, and thus cannot be pursued in a civil suit.”
Cal. Penal Code § 653.2(a): 1 case
People v. Libich, No. B298370M (Cal. Ct. App. May 13, 2021).
“was a natural and probable consequence of the commission of the Penal Code section 653.2(a) against Leandra Y.”
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