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.