Senator Ted Cruz has stalled the passage of bipartisan bills aimed at protecting Americans from doxing, raising concerns about potential impacts on law enforcement. The bills, designed to prevent the exposure of personal information by data brokers, were blocked by Cruz, who argued that restricting access to such data could hinder law enforcement efforts, particularly in tracking criminals.

The primary bill in question, Senate Bill 2850, seeks to prevent data brokers from exposing the personal information of all Americans. Senator Ron Wyden, who introduced the bill, emphasized that all constituents deserve protection from violence, stalking, and other criminal threats. Wyden sought unanimous consent for the bill's passage, a procedure that bypasses lengthy debates and roll-call votes, typically reserved for non-controversial measures with broad support. However, Cruz's objection as the sole senator, prevented the bill from moving forward.

Cruz voiced concerns that the bill could impede law enforcement's ability to locate sexual predators. He stated he was interested in expanding protection to as wide a universe as is feasible, as is practicable, but that answer is not yet worked out. However, Daniel Schuman, the executive director at the non-profit American Governance Institute, pointed out that a publicly available registry of sex offenders already exists under federal law, listing offenders' names and addresses online.

Cruz also objected to a subsequent measure, S.2852, which aimed to extend similar protections to state-level officials and staff, as well as survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. He argued that further refinement of the bill was needed.

Doxing is the practice of gathering and publishing an individual's private or identifying information online without their permission, often with malicious intent, such as harassment, threats, or revenge. Data brokers collect and sell personal, financial, and location data, which can lead to breaches, leaks, and misuse, as highlighted by the recent killing of a Minnesota state lawmaker, allegedly linked to information obtained from data brokers.

The blocked legislation reflects an ongoing debate about balancing individual privacy rights with law enforcement's need for information. Some states, including California, Texas, Oregon, and Vermont, already have laws requiring data brokers to register with state authorities and provide information about their data collection practices.