Cambridge researchers have launched secure messaging technology that shields whistleblowers from detection even under pervasive government surveillance.
The Guardian has integrated this system into its mobile news app, creating what experts call the first generative AI-powered tool designed specifically to protect sources from discovery.
The technology, called CoverDrop, automatically generates decoy messages to create “air cover” for genuine communications between whistleblowers and journalists. This approach addresses a critical vulnerability that has emerged since the Edward Snowden revelations exposed global surveillance capabilities.
Unlike existing tools like SecureDrop or encrypted messaging apps, CoverDrop hides within news organizations’ existing mobile applications. Every user becomes potential cover for whistleblowers, making it impossible for adversaries to identify who is actually sending sensitive information.
“This provides whistleblowers with plausible deniability,” said Professor Alastair Beresford from Cambridge’s Department of Computer Science and Technology. “That’s important in a world of pervasive surveillance where it has become increasingly hazardous to be a whistleblower.”
The system creates digital “dead drops” – virtual locations where messages are left for journalists to retrieve later. These are just two features in a suite of protections designed to shield sources even if their smartphones are seized or...
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