SneakNote for Journalists: Protect Your Sources with Encrypted Notes
Source protection is the foundation of investigative journalism. Every digital communication channel you use creates metadata, logs, and records that can potentially be subpoenaed or compromised. SneakNote offers a straightforward way to exchange sensitive information through encrypted notes that self-destruct after a single viewing, leaving no server-side record of the communication.
Why Journalists Need Zero-Trace Communication
Email providers retain messages indefinitely. Messaging apps store conversation histories on their servers. Even encrypted platforms often keep metadata: who communicated with whom, when, and how often. For journalists working with confidential sources, this metadata alone can be enough to identify and endanger a source.
SneakNote creates no accounts, stores no user data, and retains no record of a note after it has been read. The note content is encrypted, accessible only through a unique link, and permanently destroyed upon viewing. There is no conversation history, no contact list, and no metadata trail connecting sender and recipient.
Common Use Cases for Journalists
- Receiving confidential tips. Share a SneakNote link on your professional page or tip line so sources can send you information through encrypted, self-destructing notes. The source does not need to create an account or reveal any identifying information.
- Sharing sensitive documents and information. When you need to pass along excerpts, quotes, or details from sensitive materials to a colleague or fact-checker, a self-destructing note ensures that information does not persist in email or messaging systems where it could be accessed later.
- Communicating with anonymous sources. Establish a back-and-forth with sources who need to remain anonymous. Each exchange can use a fresh self-destructing note, leaving no accumulated conversation history that could be used to identify the source or reconstruct the dialogue.
- Sharing information with editors securely. Before publication, sensitive story details often need to be shared with editors and legal teams. A self-destructing note keeps these pre-publication details from lingering in email threads that could be subject to discovery or leaks.
Anonymous by Default
SneakNote does not require registration, email addresses, or any form of identification. Anyone can create a note and share the link. This anonymity is a feature, not a limitation. It means there is no account database that could be subpoenaed and no user records that could reveal who sent or received a particular note. Combined with password protection and automatic expiration, this makes SneakNote a practical tool for journalists who need to minimize the digital footprint of their source communications.
Create an Encrypted Note
Type or paste sensitive information below. The generated link can only be opened once, then it is permanently destroyed.