It’s not oddly hacked onto an existing platform.

Designed from the ground up to be nothing but a secure messaging platform.

Ties your personal phone number and device.

Due to Apple’s very recent public actions, I do trust them.

Closed source, so we have to trust Apple when they say iMessage is secure.

Most of your friends, colleagues and sources already use it.

If an iMessage doesn’t send, the iPhone will send it through SMS as the fallback, potentially allowing it to be sent unencrypted.

If the text bubble is blue, it’s being sent securely.

Limited only to Apple devices (though there are rumors of an Android version soon).

Depending on who you’re hiding from, some apps are more practical or useful than others.

Please remember that there is no right answer for everyone. I’m going to discuss a few of the pros and cons of several secure messaging apps and offer a few suggestions for which ones journalists should use. However, the problem with some of these services is that you have to trust that your data is secure, as proprietary companies usually do not open source their software. If the company running the servers is ever subpoenaed, the only thing they can hand over to prosecutors is essentially gibberish. These apps, operating under the same principles as PGP email encryption, are the new front line in securing communications between journalists, sources and contacts. All of these apps offer end-to-end encryption. When it comes to secure communication, phone calls are out, normal email is laughably awful and SMS is only worse. in trench coats - while still effective in certain circumstances - works less in the era of CCTV and mobile phone tracking.

Sources who reach out to the media are potentially putting themselves into dangerous situations, breaking contracts, breaking laws, breaking promises and breaking trust. Communicating with a sensitive source has always been difficult for journalists.

Encrypted messages app