Sample SecureDrop Privacy Policy

[DATE]

SecureDrop strives to create a more secure environment for whistleblowers to give information to journalists. It was installed at [MEDIA ORG] with the help of Freedom of the Press Foundation.

Please read this privacy policy carefully. It explains what information what type of information SecureDrop does and does not collect, and why.

Collection of Information From Sources

  • We don’t ask or require you to provide any personally identifying information when you submit materials through SecureDrop.

  • The system does not record your IP address, information about your browser, computer, or operating system. Furthermore, the SecureDrop pages do not embed third-party content or deliver persistent cookies to your browser.

  • The server will only store the date and time of the newest message sent from each source. Once you send a new message, the time and date of your previous message is automatically deleted.

  • Journalists decrypt and read each message offline. They are encouraged to delete messages from the server on a regular basis.

  • Please keep in mind that the actual messages you send and receive through SecureDrop may include personally identifying information. For this reason, once you read a journalist’s message, we recommend you delete it.

Also please note that when you submit certain types of files through SecureDrop, you may be sending us metadata associated with that file.

For example, if you submit a photo through SecureDrop in JPEG format, the file may include information about the date, time, and the GPS location of where it was taken, and the type of device used to take the photo. Similarly, if you submit a Word file (.doc or .docx) through SecureDrop, it may include the identity of the document’s author, the author’s operating system, GPS data about the author’s location, and the date and time when the document was created.

Our policy is to scrub metadata from the files we receive through SecureDrop before publication. If you don’t want to send us metadata, please use the Metadata Anonymization Toolkit to scrub the file before you submit it.

Collection of Information About Journalists’ Use of SecureDrop

[MEDIA ORG] collects information about journalists’ use of SecureDrop for security monitoring and to make sure the system works properly.

This information we collect about journalists includes details about the device, browser, and operating system journalists use when accessing the system, and the date and time of each session.

We retain these access logs for [___] days, and then delete them.

Data Security

[MEDIA ORG] works diligently to protect the identities of our sources and keep the information they give us confidential.

SecureDrop servers are under the physical control of [MEDIA ORG] and do not share common elements of the [MEDIA ORG’S] other infrastructure.

However, no one can truly guarantee 100% security of any system. Like all software, SecureDrop may contain bugs. Ultimately, you use the SecureDrop service at your own risk.

Children Under 13

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act restricts our ability to collect personal information from children under 13. This site is not directed to children 12 or younger.

Changes to This Policy

We may revise this Privacy Policy from time to time. The most current version of the policy will govern our collection and use of personal information and will always be at [LINK]. If we make changes that we believe are material, we will prominently display a notice on our site [___] days before we make those changes.

Contact

[MEDIA ORG] welcomes questions, concerns, and feedback about this policy. If you have suggestions for us, feel free to let us know at [EMAIL ADDRESS].