A New York Times reporter based in Melbourne is facing disciplinary action following the leak of personal information belonging to hundreds of Australian Jews, who were members of a WhatsApp group created to offer support after the October 7 Hamas massacre in Israel, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.
According to the report, the Times acknowledged the incident, saying that reporter Natasha Frost admitted to sharing the information with one person.
The leaked material, which consisted of 900 pages downloaded in January from a WhatsApp group of Jewish creative professionals and academics, was later disseminated to pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel activists. The group’s more than 600 members were subsequently harassed both online and in person, with threats and vandalism reported, according to the WSJ.
In response, the Times informed the WSJ that "appropriate action" had been taken against Frost, who remains on staff, after she "inappropriately shared information with the subject of a story to assist the individual in a private matter, a clear violation of our ethics."
"I shared this document with one individual," Frost said, expressing regret for her actions. "Its subsequent dissemination and misuse happened entirely without my knowledge or consent. I was shocked by these events, which put me and many others at terrible risk. I deeply regret my decision."
The Australian government has since begun discussing reforms to its Privacy Act, which could criminalize doxxing and provide civil recourse for victims.
Among those affected was a family-owned gift shop in northern Melbourne, which appeared on the WhatsApp list and was vandalized multiple times with graffiti and stickers, including one featuring an X-ed-out Israeli flag and a call for a boycott. The harassment forced the shop to relocate, only for the abuse to continue, with the owners receiving threatening phone calls and emails labeling them "baby killers" and "genocidal maniacs," according to the WSJ.