In collaboration with the University of Cambridge, the paper introduces a pioneering encrypted messaging feature concealed within its app.
The Guardian has launched a new secure messaging feature designed to protect whistleblowers, marking what it claims is a world first for a media organisation. The technology, built in partnership with the University of Cambridge, allows people to share confidential information with journalists in a way that conceals the very fact that messaging is taking place.
Katharine Viner, editor-in-chief, said the innovation comes at a time when threats to journalists and sources are increasing. “Blowing the whistle on wrongdoing has always taken bravery,” she wrote in a LinkedIn post. “As threats to journalists around the world increase, so does the need to protect confidential sources.”
The feature is embedded within the Guardian’s mobile app and operates by hiding encrypted communications within normal app traffic, making them indistinguishable from any other data sent by users. This “cover traffic” helps shield the identities of those reaching out to the newsroom. Unlike traditional secure dropboxes, which may draw attention to users simply by being accessed, this system is designed to avoid detection altogether.
Secure Messaging was developed by the Guardian’s product and engineering team with researchers at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Computer Science and Technology. In a move to support press freedom more widely, the Guardian has also published the source code, enabling other media organisations to adopt the system.
The feature builds on the Guardian’s long track record in investigative reporting and whistleblower protection. High-profile investigations such as the Pegasus Project, the Uber Files, the Pandora Papers and recent reporting on PPE procurement all relied on trusted, confidential sources.
Secure Messaging is now available via the Guardian app menu under ‘Secure Messaging’. A full guide for potential sources is also published on the Guardian’s website.
