In an age of increasing digital surveillance, protecting your privacy is more important than ever. For journalists, activists, whistleblowers, and others who handle sensitive information, maintaining anonymity is a matter of safety. When taking notes or keeping a diary, you likely want to ensure the contents remain private. However, with many popular note-taking apps storing data on remote servers, your confidential ramblings not be as secure as you assume.
Choose the right app
If you use a run-of-the-mill note app like Apple’s Notes, Microsoft OneNote, or Google Keep, you’re essentially handing over your data to these tech giants. The contents of your notes are viewable by employees at these companies and even be shared with authorities if compelled by subpoena. To ensure true privacy, you’ll want to opt for an encrypted, zero-knowledge notes app instead. These apps provide end-to-end encryption, meaning only you access the decryption keys for your content. The apps themselves have no method of decrypting your notes. This prevents both hackers and the app providers themselves from accessing your private scribblings. When evaluating zero-knowledge apps, look for ones that use respected encryption standards like AES-256 and encrypted cloud syncing. Avoid any app that could potentially access the decrypted contents of your notes.
Use a secure cloud service
The above apps sync your locked notes across devices via end-to-end encrypted clouds. However, for an added layer of privacy, you want to bypass these built-in cloud services entirely. Instead, consider adding your encrypted note database files to an encrypted cloud storage provider that cannot access your private keys. Mega and Tresorit offer user-controlled encryption along with extensive security features to thwart hackers. If you go the encrypted storage route, choose a provider in a jurisdiction that respects privacy rights, ideally outside surveillance-friendly countries. Read the provider’s transparency reports and penetration testing results before trusting them with your confidential data.
Hide your digital footprints
In addition to shielding the contents of your notes, you’ll also want to hide the fact that you’re taking notes at all. Protecting your anonymity means preventing any digital footprints that could tie your online activity to your real identity.
- Use a privacy-focused VPN or Tor browser when creating accounts or accessing apps related to your anonymous notes. A trustworthy VPN or Tor will shield your IP address and location.
- Create accounts with apps using burner email addresses tied to fake names, not accounts linked to your real identity.
- Whenever possible, enable options to disable link previews from your notes when sharing individual notes or snippets with others. Link previews reveal metadata about the original note.
- Avoid syncing your anonymous accounts across multiple devices. Limit access to a single, secure device if possible.
What happens to the safenote if startup fails? Essentially, imagine your anonymous persona as a complete digital stranger who shares no identifiable connections with your real-life self. Compartmentalize and isolate to avoid accidentally leaking confidential details.
Go offline for maximum security
If you handle extremely sensitive material related to high-stakes scenarios like whistleblowing or investigative journalism, even encrypted digital notes do not suffice. Consider writing your most confidential information offline in old-fashioned pen and paper notebooks. Offline analog notes provide true air-gapping for maximum security. Just be sure to store your written notebooks securely – encryption doesn’t help if you leave sensitive intel lying around! When ready to transfer to digital, type up your handwritten notes to share safely with encrypted files.
