Have you seen something that troubles you or that you think should be a story? Do you have a tip we should be investigating? Do you have documents or other materials we should see?
It is most efficient to contact an individual reporter directly. Look at our staff list and read our bios to see what we’ve covered. We all include contact information, including ways to reach us through encrypted means such as Signal or ProtonMail. You should also take a look at our open reporting projects to see if your tip relates to any of our ongoing coverage.
If you cannot find the right individual’s contact, you can reach out through one of these newsroom tiplines.
We take privacy seriously. There is no third-party tracking on this page, but please consider who else may be able to see what you’re doing on your device.
For Most TipsFill Out Our Form
Filling this out helps us pass your tips along to the right editors and reporters quickly. We will not publish your name or information without your consent.
If you wish for additional anonymity, we have set up encrypted tiplines for extra security.
What We Look for in Tips
We read every tip you send, but we have to make choices about which ones we explore. To help us understand why your tip could be a story, please keep in mind:
Tell us why your story is an accountability story. Who is being harmed? What, exactly, is happening? How would we follow up?
Our stories are generally about systemic, not individual, harm. If you think your story is part of a pattern, help us understand the larger context.
Include any evidence you have. That includes text messages, emails, documents, receipts, photos, reports and more.
If something is time sensitive, please note that in your subject line or introductory text.
Our general tips number on Signal for this project is +1-201-701-0850. Please be as specific, detailed and clear as you can. We read everything you submit, but our newsroom is still too small to send a personal response to everyone. Any documentation helps.
SecureDrop is the most secure and anonymous way to share information or files with us electronically. Used properly, it shields your identity even from us.
Our SecureDrop servers are under the direct physical control of ProPublica. When you use SecureDrop, we are unable to record your IP address or information about your browser, computer or operating system. All files submitted to our SecureDrop servers are encrypted as they are received; submissions are initially decrypted and viewed on a computer that has never been connected to the internet. Unless you give us your name or other identifying information, we will not know who you are. We make our best attempt to remove identifying information and metadata from submissions.
You will need to download the Tor anonymity software to connect to ProPublica's SecureDrop server. Once you’ve got the Tor Browser running, it can be as easy to use as a normal web browser.
For the highest level of privacy, we further recommend that you use Tor and visit our SecureDrop using a public Wi-Fi network, rather than your home or work internet connection. For extra security, you can also boot your computer from a USB key containing Tails, a secure operating system that does not leave any trace of your Tails activity on the computer you are using; the Tor Browser is included in the Tails operating system.
Visit TorProject.org and follow the directions to download and install the Tor Browser.
Launch the Tor Browser and allow it to connect. Then wait for a page that says a connection has been established.
Enter the following URL into the Tor Browser address bar: http://propublica.securedrop.tor.onion/
If you are using an older version of Tor Browser you may need to use the following instead: http://lvtu6mh6dd6ynqcxtd2mseqfkm7g2iuxvjobbyzpgx2jt427zvd7n3ad.onion/
Follow the instructions on that website to send us files and messages. When you use the site, you will get a “code name,” which is your login for SecureDrop. You can come back and log in with this code name to submit more information and see if we have sent a response to you.
The SecureDrop links http://propublica.securedrop.tor.onion/ and http://lvtu6mh6dd6ynqcxtd2mseqfkm7g2iuxvjobbyzpgx2jt427zvd7n3ad.onion/ are only accessible via Tor, and we do not recommend using any other website or software to visit our SecureDrop system.
U.S. postal mail without a return address is one of the most secure ways to communicate. Authorities would need a warrant to intercept and open it in transit.
For better security, you can mail your package or envelope from an unfamiliar sidewalk box instead of your company or agency mailroom. A sidewalk box is also more secure than a post office. You can mail us paper materials or digital files on, for example, a thumb drive.