CoverDrop: Secure Messaging for Newsreader Apps

2025-06-09
CoverDrop: Secure Messaging for Newsreader Apps

CoverDrop is a secure messaging system enabling confidential communication between users of news organizations' mobile apps and journalists, without leaving a trace. It comprises four key components: a module integrated into the news app, a cloud-based API, the CoverNode (securely hosted services), and a journalist desktop application. CoverDrop uses 'cover messages' to make secure communication indistinguishable from regular app usage, providing strong plausible deniability. The system's architecture, detailed in a white paper, is designed to protect source anonymity and message integrity. The project is open-source and includes comprehensive documentation.