In a dangerous era for journalism – a powerful new tool to help protect sources | Investigative journalism
Today, the Guardian launches a unique new tool for protecting journalistic sources. Secure Messaging is an important new technological innovation that will make it easier for people to share confidential information with us.
Blowing the whistle on wrongdoing has always taken bravery. As threats to journalists around the world increase, so does the need to protect confidential sources. One of the most dramatic global shifts against whistleblower safety comes as part of the Trump administration’s continued assault on the free press.
Investigative reporting is extremely important to the Guardian; we have been exposing wrongdoing and scrutinising power with complete independence for decades. We know first-hand how impactful investigations depend on trusted reader-reporter interactions. From the Frank Hester revelations to the Pegasus project, Uber files, Pandora papers and the Michelle Mone/PPE Medpro scandal, many of our most powerful recent investigative projects – as well as our biggest stories throughout the decades – have relied on sources feeling confident they can safely share information with the Guardian or our reporting partners. Secure Messaging is the latest tool in our armoury to protect whistleblowers.
Built by our product and engineering team, in partnership with the University of Cambridge’s department of computer science and technology, Secure Messaging is unlike traditional information-sharing platforms. The technology behind Secure Messaging conceals the fact that messaging is taking place at all by making the communication indistinguishable from other data sent to and from the app by our millions of regular users. By using the Guardian app, other users are effectively providing “cover” and helping us to protect sources.
Secure Messaging is not just a tool for the Guardian. As part of our commitment to protecting the media and the public interest globally, the Guardian has published the source code for the technology that enables this system. This means that other organisations will be able to use this technology freely to implement secure messaging tools within their own apps.
If you have any information to share with us, you can use Secure Messaging within the Guardian app by clicking on the app menu and scrolling to “Secure Messaging”. For more information on how to share tips with our journalists please read our comprehensive guide.
