Can You Get A Restraining Order For Social Media Harassment?

Harassment that happens on a screen can feel just as threatening as harassment in person, and Minnesota law treats it that way. The challenge with online harassment is rarely whether it counts; it is proving the pattern and pinning it to a real, identifiable person. Here is how it works.

Can you get a restraining order for social media harassment in Minnesota?

Yes. A Harassment Restraining Order under Minnesota Statutes § 609.748 applies to harassment regardless of how it is delivered, which includes social media, messaging apps, email, and texts. Because the HRO requires no relationship between the parties, it works against an ex, an acquaintance, or a complete stranger online.

The HRO is the right tool for most online harassment because it is broader than an Order for Protection, which is limited to domestic situations. If you are not sure which one fits, our comparison of a harassment order vs. a restraining order breaks it down.

What online behavior counts as harassment?

Minnesota defines harassment to include repeated intrusive or unwanted acts, words, or gestures that have a substantial adverse effect on your safety, security, or privacy. For the repeated-conduct basis, courts generally want to see a pattern, and Minnesota’s stalking law expressly covers following, monitoring, or contacting someone through any technological means. Certain single acts, like sharing nonconsensual intimate images, also qualify on their own.

Online conduct	Likely an HRO basis?
Repeated unwanted messages or DMs after being told to stop	Yes (pattern)
Threats of harm sent through social media	Yes
Posting or sharing nonconsensual intimate images	Yes (single incident)
Doxing (publishing your private information to harass you)	Yes
Repeated embarrassing posts, tagging, and false rumors	Often, if it has a substantial adverse effect
A single rude or offensive comment	Usually not

If the harassment involves sharing intimate images without consent, that is a recognized basis and a serious offense; the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative has helpful resources on image-based abuse. For stalking and cyberstalking behavior, the Stalking Prevention, Awareness, and Resource Center explains the patterns courts and police look for.

The catch: you have to identify the harasser

This is the part most articles skip. An HRO can only be issued against a respondent who is named in the petition and served with the order. If the harassment is coming from an anonymous or fake account, you cannot get an order against “a username,” so identifying the real person behind it is often the first real obstacle.

There are ways to get there. A police report can trigger an investigation, and law enforcement or a subpoena can sometimes compel a platform to reveal account information. If the person is out of state, serving and enforcing the order gets harder, which is another reason to involve police early and to consult a lawyer about your options.

How do you file an HRO for online harassment?

You file a petition with a sworn affidavit in district court, in the county where you live or where the harassment occurred, describing the incidents in detail. If the court finds an immediate and present danger, it can grant a temporary order right away and set a hearing, usually within about two weeks, where both sides present evidence.

Filing fees are waived when the petition alleges stalking or sexual-conduct offenses, which often applies to serious online harassment. For the general process and the other ways harassment orders work, see our guide to restraining orders in Minnesota and our overview of how to file a restraining order for harassment.

What evidence do you need?

Online harassment cases live and die on documentation, and digital evidence disappears fast when the harasser deletes posts or accounts. Capture everything as it happens.

• Screenshots of every message, comment, or post, showing the username and the date and time
• The full profile URLs and account handles involved
• Copies of any threats, images, or doxing content
• A log connecting the incidents into a clear timeline
• Names of anyone who also saw the harassment

Do not engage or reply, because back-and-forth can muddy the picture of who is harassing whom. Preserve, document, and report.

Is online harassment also a crime in Minnesota?

It can be. Minnesota’s stalking statute, § 609.749, covers harassment carried out through electronic and technological means, and nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images is a separate crime under § 617.261. That means a single course of conduct can support both a civil HRO and a criminal case.

Reporting to police runs on a separate track from the HRO and can help with both protection and identifying an anonymous harasser. The two remedies often work best together.

What if you have been accused of online harassment?

Being served with an HRO over social media activity is serious, and these cases are not always as one-sided as the petition makes them look. Context matters: whether the contact was truly repeated and unwanted, whether posts were protected speech rather than harassment, and whether you are even the person behind the account. Many HROs start as temporary orders that have never been tested against your evidence.

Until the hearing, stop all contact and do not post about the other person, because that can become a separate violation or charge. If you believe the petition is false or retaliatory, see the consequences of filing a false order and how to get an order dismissed. Our criminal defense attorneys handle HRO hearings and online-harassment allegations across Minnesota.

FAQs

Can you get a restraining order for social media harassment in Minnesota?

Yes. A Harassment Restraining Order under Minn. Stat. § 609.748 covers online and electronic harassment, including social media, with no relationship required. You generally need a pattern of repeated unwanted conduct or a single serious act such as sharing nonconsensual intimate images.

What if the harasser is anonymous?

An HRO can only be issued against a named, identifiable respondent who can be served. If the account is anonymous, identifying the person is the first step, and a police report or subpoena can sometimes compel a platform to reveal account information.

Does online harassment have to be repeated to qualify?

Usually, but not always. Most online harassment qualifies as a pattern of repeated unwanted contact. Certain single acts, such as posting nonconsensual intimate images or doxing, can qualify on their own.

Is cyberstalking a crime in Minnesota?

Yes. Minnesota’s stalking law, § 609.749, covers monitoring or contacting someone through technological means, and sharing private sexual images is a separate crime under § 617.261. Online harassment can support both a criminal case and a civil HRO.

What evidence do I need for an online harassment HRO?

Save screenshots showing usernames and timestamps, profile URLs, any threats or images, a timeline of the incidents, and the names of any witnesses. Preserve everything before it can be deleted, and avoid replying.