Who's behind the news?
Who's behind the news?
1.5.2
Newsjunkie.net is a resource guide for journalists. We show who's behind the news, and provide tools to help navigate the modern business of information.
Use of Data
1.5.2
1.5.2
Managed by Freedom of the Press Foundation · Open-source whistleblower submission system · Global newsroom and NGO infrastructure
SecureDrop is public-interest infrastructure for a dangerous information environment. It is an open-source whistleblower submission system that media organizations can install to receive documents, tips, and messages from anonymous sources. Originally coded by Aaron Swartz and now managed by Freedom of the Press Foundation, SecureDrop occupies a crucial place in the knowledge sector: it provides a safer channel for people who need to bring evidence to journalists, watchdogs, and civil-society organizations without exposing themselves through ordinary communications systems.
The system is designed for situations in which email, phone calls, cloud drives, and consumer messaging apps may create unacceptable risk. Sources use Tor Browser to reach an organization's SecureDrop onion service, submit files or messages, and receive a randomly generated codename that allows them to return later for replies. Journalists use a hardened workflow to retrieve and review submissions. SecureDrop does not promise perfect safety, but it meaningfully reduces many common forms of digital tracing and source exposure when used carefully.
SecureDrop serves the public by serving the people who bring evidence into public view. Its users include whistleblowers, sources, investigative reporters, editors, legal and advocacy organizations, and media institutions that need secure intake for sensitive records. In an era of surveillance, data brokers, insider-threat monitoring, workplace retaliation, and aggressive leak investigations, the ability to communicate with a newsroom without immediately revealing one's identity is part of the infrastructure of accountability.
For the knowledge sector, SecureDrop belongs beside archives, public-records law, open data repositories, library systems, and digital-preservation tools. It is not simply a technical utility. It is a civic mechanism: a bridge between hidden evidence and public knowledge.
SecureDrop remains active and maintained. The official project site lists SecureDrop 2.15.1 as the latest release, dated April 23, 2026, and Freedom of the Press Foundation describes SecureDrop as open-source software installed on-premises by news organizations around the world. Its public directory lists active SecureDrop instances maintained by participating organizations. The project also continues to develop related newsroom tools, including SecureDrop Inbox, which is intended to improve how journalists process submissions.
Sources should not use a normal browser to submit sensitive material. The usual access path is:
Download and install Tor Browser from the Tor Project.
Open Tor Browser and visit the official SecureDrop Directory, or the SecureDrop page of a specific participating newsroom.
Use that organization's onion address in Tor Browser to submit a message or files.
Save the generated codename in a safe place; it is needed to return for follow-up communication.
Safety note: SecureDrop is stronger than ordinary digital submission channels, but no tool can guarantee complete anonymity. Sources should read the participating organization's instructions carefully, avoid workplace or monitored devices, and consider operational-security guidance before submitting sensitive material.
Freedom of the Press Foundation maintains SecureDrop as part of its broader mission to defend press freedom, protect journalists and sources, and build open-source tools for public-interest reporting. The foundation also provides digital-security education, legal and policy advocacy, and other technology projects for newsrooms and reporters.
SecureDrop is used by major news organizations and watchdog groups worldwide. Its directory and overview identify deployments across national, regional, nonprofit, and international media organizations. For newsrooms, SecureDrop is not a replacement for reporting judgment, source verification, or legal review. It is an intake system: a controlled way to begin communication and receive material while minimizing unnecessary exposure for the source and the newsroom.
SecureDrop
Managed by Freedom of the Press Foundation
Open-source whistleblower submission system
Primary users: journalists, editors, whistleblowers, watchdog organizations, civil-society groups, and sources handling sensitive information.
Website: securedrop.org
Directory: securedrop.org/directory