How ‘Digital Noise’ Shields Whistleblowers from AI Spies

- Breakthrough system uses "digital noise" to protect whistleblower anonymity. - New technology combats AI surveillance and large-scale profiling. On June 29, 2025, Dr. Manny Ahmed, founder of CoverDrop and OpenOrigins, introduced a transformative method to safeguard whistleblowers. His system uses mass decoy messaging to create anonymity through encrypted "digital noise." This innovation addresses escalating threats to privacy posed by advanced AI surveillance technologies. CoverDrop works by generating thousands of encrypted decoy messages between a media outlet's platform and its readers. These messages cloak a genuine whistleblower's identity within a flurry of digital activity, which makes it impossible to isolate their communication and gives individuals who share sensitive information plausible deniability. Dr. Ahmed highlighted that rapid advancements in AI, particularly agentic AI, have drastically reduced the cost and effort of large-scale surveillance, allowing such systems to assemble detailed profiles of individuals using minimal data. As a result, this creates an unprecedented risk for journalistic sources. While current end-to-end encryption secures message content, it fails to protect a source when the very act of communication compromises their anonymity. This innovative system is part of a broader initiative. Alongside CoverDrop, OpenOrigins adds another layer of protection by verifying the authenticity of media evidence, such as images and videos. Together, these tools bolster whistleblower security and uphold journalistic integrity in an age of pervasive surveillance technology.