Secure Contacts

How to contact me securely

Updated 3/14/24

Ordinary email gets to me fastest. Use my regular Contacts if you can. This page offers more secure and private alternatives.

Before you reach out, give some thought to what you want to keep private, who might try to listen in, and how much you care. The Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Surveillance Self Defense guide is a great resource.

SIGNAL

For most circumstances, the best and easiest choice is to install the Signal app and message me at 510-993-0820. I do not use this number for voice calls or voicemail.

SEND ME A FILE

You can upload a file for me confidentially at https://bgell.me/sendfile. This takes you to a secure, end-to-end encrypted page hosted by Tresorit. No one but me can see the file.

THE OLD FASHIONED WAY

Postal mail can be a good choice for confidential material. The government scans the outside of every envelope, but a warrant is required to open and read what’s inside. You can use a boring, fake return address, or leave it blank. Address it to me at the Brennan Center, 120 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10271.

For an extra layer of protection, you could snailmail me the link to an encrypted message on pastebin.com or the server of your choice.

PGP ENCRYPTION

I have reduced my use of PGP. Signal (above) is usually a better choice. But if you prefer to use PGP my key is available here and on other keyservers.

Fingerprint:
5FFB 9661 E80B EEAC F60A F439 9402 6C02 F396 3B70

Do not use any other key for me. Some have expired, and some may be imposters.

SECUREDROP

If you have genuine reason to fear surveillance by a well-resourced adversary, you may reach me on SecureDrop, a system designed for maximum privacy. It requires time and attention on your part, but no expertise. Fair warning: I do not check my SecureDrop often. This is not a good way to reach me quickly.

To learn how to use SecureDrop, close this page and clear your browser. Find another computer, away from home and work, perhaps at a library or cafe. Then browse to my SecureDrop landing page and follow instructions there. Bring a blank thumb drive of 16 GB or larger.