Dark Web Threats Against Judges Detailed
A recent 60 Minutes segment demonstrated how easily anonymous actors on the dark web can access personal information of federal judges. The report shows how this data is used to incite real-world harm and harassment, highlighting a dangerous intersection of cyber-crime and physical threats.
The U.S. Marshals Service reported a significant increase in threats against federal judges, with 457 investigations in 2023, more than double the 224 cases in 2021. This surge is part of a broader trend of rising threats against public officials, which includes swatting incidents and menacing social media campaigns. This escalating threat environment was tragically highlighted in July 2020 when a disgruntled lawyer, Roy Den Hollander, went to the home of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas. Posing as a delivery driver, he opened fire, killing her 20-year-old son, Daniel Anderl, and critically wounding her husband. Hollander found the judge's address online. The personal information used to target judges is often legally obtained from the largely unregulated data broker industry. A 2025 study found that 56% of U.S. appellate court judges had personal data, including home addresses, phone numbers, and relatives' names, exposed on people-search sites. Researchers were able to find this information using only the judges' names, ages, and locations. In response to the murder of Daniel Anderl, President Biden signed the Daniel Anderl Judicial Security and Privacy Act into law in December 2022. The bipartisan legislation prohibits data brokers from selling judges' personally identifiable information and allows judges to request the removal of their data from public websites. The law also empowers the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to act on behalf of judges to compel the removal of their information. However, challenges remain as the law primarily targets legitimate businesses within U.S. jurisdiction, while information may still be available on non-compliant offshore sites and other dark corners of the internet. Despite the new law, a February 2026 study revealed that the personal data of 56% of federal judges remains exposed on people-search sites. In one circuit court, which serves Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, 88% of judges had their information listed on at least one site. The harassment tactics have also evolved, with judges reporting a wave of unsolicited and anonymous pizza deliveries sent to their homes. These incidents are seen as a clear and ominous message: the sender knows where they live.
