Psst Safe

Welcome to the Psst Safe, a secure and encrypted place to confidentially share public interest information you believe is of concern and to request legal advice.

Before you proceed, safety first. Let's run through some precautions.

Are you on a work-provided computer, phone, device or network? If so, your employer may have already logged your visit to our site. We recommend you exit this site and delete your cache. Return to Psst.org on a personal device that has no connection to your workplace.

Here is a link on cleaning your cache: https://its.uiowa.edu/services/general/how-clear-cache-and-cookies-your-web-browser

If you are using a personal device or mobile phone, please ensure it has no employer-related software or apps installed (these may allow your employer to track what you are doing).

If your device has work-related software or apps installed, exit now, clear your cache, and return to Psst.org from a device that has no connection to work.

Here is a link on cleaning your cache: https://its.uiowa.edu/services/general/how-clear-cache-and-cookies-your-web-browser

After you write a detailed description of your concern, you decide how Psst uses the encrypted information you deposit. Your options:

1) Keep your information encrypted unless there is an information match with other deposits, at which point you can speak to a lawyer to get legal advice about your options. (More information on the next screen.)

2) Have your deposit sent to Psst’s Legal team immediately, even if it does not match other information deposited, in order to get legal advice.

3) Deposit information 100% privately, to save it for later. This option allows you to record incidents that are happening at work with a datestamp, without sharing them with anyone, in case you want to take action later.

By choosing to be contacted now or after there is a match, you confirm that your intent is to seek legal advice. This keeps you safe and your information privileged and confidential. For contact info, we strongly encourage you to use Signal or encrypted email, such as Proton Mail.

If you choose the option to be contacted if there is a match:

Currently, deposits to the Safe are matched manually by the Psst Legal team under legal privilege. Depositors have the option to tag their information by name of organization, department and the type of concern. The legal team uses this metadata to find matches.

If there is a match, a lawyer on the team unencrypts the submissions to confirm the match, then contacts each depositor to discuss legal options. At no point will any other depositor know your identity or the information that you are sharing. All information remains confidential until you decide otherwise, and is covered by legal privilege.

The next version of the Safe eliminates manual matching in favor of a closed algorithmic system.

By proceeding, you consent to the above process of matching.