An activist website reportedly doxed Tesla owners across the United States this week, in an apparent act of retaliation for Elon Musk’s role in the Trump White House. From the New York Post:

The site, called “Dogequest,” reportedly reveals the names, addresses and phone numbers of Tesla owners throughout the US using an interactive map — and uses an image of a Molotov cocktail as a cursor.

The site’s operators, who also posted the exact locations of Tesla dealerships, said that they will remove identifying information about Tesla drivers only if they provide proof that they sold their electric vehicles, according to 404 Media.

The mass doxing appears to be the latest politically-motivated attack on Tesla owners and dealerships following Musk’s rise to prominence in the Trump administration. As the Post explains, “One notable incident occurred earlier this month in Loveland, Colo., where a woman was arrested for attacking a Tesla dealership with an incendiary device. At least two Tesla dealerships in Oregon were targeted by gunshots in recent weeks. There were no reported injuries. Even owners of the recently released Cybertruck have reported regular incidents of harassment, including obscene gestures and verbal insults.”

Nobody should have to fear for their safety because of the causes they support or the car they drive (or sell). That should go without saying. Unfortunately, in today’s toxic political environment, almost anyone can be villainized and targeted for their identity, associations, or beliefs. Before the doxing of Tesla owners, hackers and media outlets exposed the personal information of groups like gun owners and donors to conservative protests on crowdfunding platforms. Politicians across the country have also sought to make it harder for Americans to criticize them anonymously by passing invasive “disclosure” laws for civic groups.

The erosion of our privacy makes all of our other liberties more vulnerable. Corrupt government officials can silence their critics through intimidation without any direct acts of censorship. Extremists and unhinged activists can bully average Americans out of political engagement, undermining the will of the people. In the end, society becomes dominated by the most powerful and aggressive voices, instead of the most persuasive and insightful.

America is already far down that road, but we are not helpless to turn back. We can make changes to confront the problems of the moment. One common element in many doxing scandals is inadequate privacy protections for personal information. This is often the result of laws and attitudes passed down from a previous era, when doxing and digital surveillance did not yet exist, and people still believed in agreeing to disagree. We no longer live in that world.

Policymakers can and should take steps to update laws to bolster personal privacy for today’s reality. In the meantime, nonprofit donations represent one way most Americans can still put their beliefs into action privately and securely. Prying politicians and activists constantly attempt to expose these donations, but the Supreme Court has been clear: Americans have a right to privacy in their support for nonprofit groups. That right is essential to free speech.

The doxing of Tesla owners is a sign of how badly our culture of privacy and tolerance has degraded. Now is not the time to make privacy invasions even worse, but rather to rally around the protections we still have and begin fighting back. No matter what you believe in or which cause matters most to you, the Constitution protects your right to join together with like-minded citizens and speak your mind. Privacy makes it practical.