Confidential Information Do You Have Data You Would Like To Entrust To SPIEGEL?
Do you have confidential information that you would like to share with us? Perhaps even anonymously? Before you contact us, please read our information on the various options.
Do not simply send us information by e-mail
As a general rule: Never contact us from your office. Don’t use a device which isn’t owned and controlled by you (especially not one owned by your employer, who has access to these devices). Don’t use your employer’s email address. In particularly sensitive cases, do not use your private mobile phone, your private landline or your private e-mail account either.
If you transmit data to us, do not use your private Wi-Fi or that of your employer. It is best to use a computer that only you have access to. It is best to transmit the data via a publicly accessible WLAN network. Most importantly, do not simply send us sensitive information or documents by e-mail.
It is best to contact us personally. Anonymously if you wish. You do not have to give your name.
Please contact us in one of the following ways:
1. Telephone: You can reach us at +49 40 3007 0 (from outside Germany) or 040 3007 0 (inside Germany). Once connected, ask for "investigative." For additional security, you can use a prepaid SIM card purchased under another name and a disposable mobile phone. Every mobile phone has a unique (IMEI) identification number attached to it. That number can still be clearly detected even if you are using a prepaid SIM card. If you are using a landline, it is best to use one that is not registered in your name and to which you cannot be traced in any way.
2. Mail: Write to:
DER SPIEGEL
"Investigative"
Ericusspitze 1
20457 Hamburg
The postal system is a reliable way of sending information. For further security, you can also encrypt your documents and place them on a CD or USB stick, and then send it by normal mail.
3. By e-mail:
Another way to get in touch with us is to send a PGP-encrypted e-mail to
Fingerprint: 6177 6456 98CE 38EF 21DE AAAA AD69 75A1 27FF 8ADC
You can always find the fingerprint in the imprint of the printed SPIEGEL (in the reader service section under "Information für Informanten").
You can further increase your security by connecting a laptop that does not contain any personal data to a public WLAN network using the Tor anonymizing system . Do not use the Tor browser on a cell phone or tablet, but the desktop version of the Tor browser. Alternatively, you can also use Tails , a portable operating system that allows you to send sensitive information to us from insecure locations.
4. Via our anonymous mailbox:
You can also send us documents or information via our SecureDrop system. This is software from the non-profit Freedom of the Press Foundation that enables encrypted communication with journalists.
The SecureDrop mailbox provides you with the possibility to send us documents or information securely and, if necessary, anonymously. To do this, you will need the Tor Browser:
1. Download the Tor Browser here .
2. After installing the Tor Browser, open the program and type or copy the following URL into the address bar:
q6vdlj2ukulrqk37piqgxucpcwtxzdjhvjzqrfbevuhrzimsgjltmpqd.onion
Or you use the following URL: spiegel.securedrop.tor.onion
The URL only works with the Tor Browser. Once the page has loaded, you will find further information about how you can send messages and documents to DER SPIEGEL.
If you want to send us sensitive information, you should use a laptop that nobody but you can access. Ideally, do not connect to SecureDrop from home or work. For anonymous communication, it is ideal to access SecureDrop from a public WLAN. It is best to sit in a busy café or another public space you have never been to before and use the Wi-Fi available there. Make sure that your screen is not being recorded by surveillance cameras.
If you personally do not feel comfortable or confident using these technologies and encryption tools, you can also contact the appropriate editor at DER SPIEGEL and arrange a personal meeting. Sensitive documents and other pieces of information are best provided in person and in an encrypted form.
Once contact has been established, we are happy to provide you with advice on how you can take steps to protect yourself as an informant.
