I argued with someone online after he made an extremely misogynistic comment, and I told him to harm himself. He then replied, "I have your IP. See you soon!" He has also been responding to many of my comments, which feels unsettling. My account doesn't contain personal information, but I'm anxious and don't really understand how IP addresses work. Can someone discover my IP address just from my social media account, and would having it let them find or harm me?
3 Answers
No, an ordinary user generally can’t see your IP address just by viewing or interacting with your social media account. The platform itself can see it, but other users normally can’t. This is very likely an attempt to scare you.
The safest practical response is to stop engaging, block the account, and report any threats through the platform. Save screenshots if the messages become specific or continue, but the claim that he has your IP does not by itself mean he knows where you live.
Even if someone somehow learned your IP, it usually only provides a rough idea of your internet provider or general region—not your exact home address. A router or firewall also normally prevents unsolicited connections, so an IP address by itself is not especially useful for attacking you.
I’m still pretty freaked out because he keeps responding to me, but that makes me feel a little better.