A startup nonprofit is trying to make it easier for tech workers to blow the whistle by connecting them with others who have witnessed similar problems.
Psst, pronounced as the whispering sound, created a platform that stores encrypted information and personal accounts provided by employees who feel uneasy about their work. The nonprofit then connects individuals making similar complaints with each other. If they decide to share information with a journalist, Congress member, or regulatory agency, they can bring forward a stronger story as a group. While matching is currently handled by Psst employees, the nonprofit is developing an algorithm that will eventually do it autonomously. Lawyers working pro bono are also present at every step in the process, ensuring potential whistleblowers know their rights. The idea is to “use tech to take on tech,” said co-founder and lawyer Jennifer Gibson.
“You’ve got [an industry] that’s possibly more powerful than the government developing a technology at breakneck speed without guardrails and workers who may not have good options for how to raise alarms,” she told Semafor. “If nobody’s going to regulate, we’re going to need insiders to tell us what’s going on.”
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