Rep. Justin Humphrey, R-Lane, has come forward to defend a law he passed back in 2021, aimed at safeguarding the personal information of law enforcement officers and county officials from being maliciously spread online – the anti-doxing bill that responded to harassment faced by Norman Police Officers and their families by groups like Black Lives Matter. However, Humphrey now warns that misuse of this very legislation could lead to dire consequences. "This anti-doxing bill was written because of Norman Police Officers and their family members who were terrorized after their personal information was released with malicious intent," Rep. Humphrey told the Oklahoma House.

Though the bill was intended to protect, its application has recently come into question. According to Humphrey, the sheriff in Cleveland County may have inappropriately wielded the legislation by arresting a critic, charges that were subsequently dropped. "Just because something posted online is embarrassing doesn't automatically mean it's harassment," he stated, adding that the bill "was never meant to bully law-abiding whistleblowers who are simply sharing public documents." Whistleblowing, Humphrey asserts, "is not doxing," as reported by the Oklahoma House.

Humphrey's stance is clear: the anti-doxing law is not a shield for misconduct. He emphasizes the distinction between protecting officers from threats and using the law as a barrier against accountability. "Our law enforcement officers absolutely deserve protection from terrorists who want to threaten, intimidate or harass them at their homes for simply doing their jobs," Humphrey stated, as noted by the Oklahoma House. However, he also made it crystal clear that the act is "not a get-out-of-jail-free card to cover up wrongdoing no matter if it is law enforcement."

With accountability in mind, Humphrey has allied with former Sen. Jerry Ellis and attorney Stan Ward, to reinforce the Whistleblower Act and protect those who expose corruption. Their collaborative efforts mirror an intent to stamp out retaliation against whistleblowers, with Humphrey cautioning that the misuse of the anti-doxing act could expose counties to "a multi-million dollar lawsuit." "If you abuse the anti-doxing act to go after a whistleblower," Humphrey told the Oklahoma House.