Distributed Email of Secrets $5 / month

Distributed Email of Secrets Substack, by the transparency collective Distributed Denial of Secrets, publishes data leaks covering a range of themes such as government and corporate corruption, censorship, police conduct, and international collaboration on control measures. The releases often feature restricted access datasets for journalists and researchers, aiming to facilitate investigative reporting while also seeking donations to support its mission.

Government data leaks Corporate corruption Censorship and internet control Investigative journalism Police conduct and transparency War crimes and human rights abuses Cybersecurity and data breaches Financial crimes and transparency Environmental violations

The hottest Substack posts of Distributed Email of Secrets

And their main takeaways

Release: Greenhouse Project

531 implied HN points • 10 Jan 24

The Greenhouse Project fights censorship through preserving reporting and source files.
Distributed Denial of Secrets launched the Greenhouse Project to combat censorship.
Appin Uncensored is the first article in the censorship resistance Greenhouse Project.

Release: Patron Papers (500 MB)

455 implied HN points • 02 Oct 23

🌍 World Politics Corruption Investigation Press freedom Government actions

The release includes reports on corruption involving former president of Paraguay, Horacio Cartes and current president Santiago Peña.
The leaked documents from Paraguay's financial intelligence unit led to the United States cutting off information sharing with Seprelad.
Journalists in Paraguay faced intimidation and legal action for reporting on the leaked Seprelad documents.

Release: Airman Teixeira leaks (53 MB)

835 implied HN points • 16 May 23

🌍 World Politics Leaks Espionage Security Fundraising Activism

A dataset of leaked classified documents by U.S. Airman Jack Teixeira has been shared online
More parts of the leaked documents may become available over time
Donations to support DDoSecrets during a critical fundraiser will be matched this week

Limited distribution: WebDetetive (1.5 GB)

379 implied HN points • 30 Aug 23

🕹 Technology Security Privacy Software Data Surveillance

WebDetetive contained files from a spyware vendor compromising thousands of phones.
The dataset shared does not include victim's device data.
Access to the data is limited to journalists and researchers.

Limited distribution: Russian Censor Files (335 GB)

759 implied HN points • 14 Feb 23

🌐 International Leaks Surveillance Censorship Russia

New leak reveals documents from Russia's censorship agency Roskomnadzor
Documents show monitoring of social media to implement Kremlin's media policies
Access to the leaked dataset is currently restricted to journalists and researchers

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Limited distribution: Fishrot Files (25.8 GB)

607 implied HN points • 31 May 23

🌐 International Corruption Whistleblower Investigation Journalism

The Fishrot Files contain 75,000 leaked files exposing corruption in the fishing industry.
The dataset is more complete and larger than what was previously released by Wikileaks.
Access to the expanded dataset is restricted due to personally identifiable information, and it continues where Wikileaks left off.

Release: Donetsk People's Republic (1.4 TB)

455 implied HN points • 24 Jun 23

🌍 World Politics War Crimes

More than 1 million emails and documents leaked from Donetsk People's Republic in Ukraine.
Potential evidence of war crimes against children in Ukraine found in the leaked documents.
Leaked documents also reveal financial budgets and funding projections, including expenses for public movements and organizations.

Release: Roskomnadzor Moscow (489 GB)

455 implied HN points • 24 Jun 23

🌐 International Censorship Leaks Russia China Internet

This is a third leak from Russia's Roskomnadzor censorship agency.
The leaked files include data on Russia seeking guidance from China on censorship methods.
The leaked data shows collaboration between Russia and China in monitoring and controlling the internet.

News about DDoSecrets

531 implied HN points • 11 May 23

🌍 World Politics Climate

DDoSecrets data used in investigations revealed US teacher's pension fund involvement in land-grabbing in Brazil
DDoSecrets data connected to investigations of war crimes in Ukraine involving Putin and Lvova-Belova
DDoSecrets data highlighted investigations into the financial activities and assets of war criminals like Prigozhin

Release: LAPD Headshots (269 MB)

531 implied HN points • 06 Apr 23

📰 News Police Lawsuits Data Privacy Legal action

Over 9,000 LAPD officers' headshots released, causing department to sue for censorship.
Undercover officers' photos inadvertently exposed, leading to lawsuits for negligence.
Stop LAPD Spying Coalition uses the headshots for data accessibility efforts.

Limited distribution: Oakland City Hall (11.7 GB)

531 implied HN points • 08 Mar 23

🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government Security Legal

DDoSecrets released emails and files from the Oakland City Hall ransomware attack.
The released data includes sensitive information like police records and personal employee details.
The extent of the data breach seems more significant than originally acknowledged by the city.

Limited distribution: OptimEyes (67.8 GB)

455 implied HN points • 12 May 23

🕹 Technology Cybersecurity Data Breach Risk Assessment AWS Journalism

Limited distribution of OptimEyes dataset containing credentials leaked from a cybersecurity company
Dataset includes critical AWS keys and is available only to journalists & researchers
DDoSecrets seeks donations to continue operations

Release: ACPeds (20 GB)

455 implied HN points • 03 May 23

🌐 International Leaks Data Breach Ethics

Data leak from the American College of Pediatricians reveals sensitive information like donor details and passwords
The leaked files include internal documents about ACPeds donors, finances, and members' information
ACPeds has faced rejection as an Amazon Smile charity and scrutiny for using questionable sources for information

Limited distribution: Apex Mobile (25 GB)

379 implied HN points • 30 Mar 23

🕹 Technology Data Privacy Law enforcement Apps Cybersecurity

Apex Mobile (25 GB) suite of apps is used by police departments in Canada and the US for evidence gathering
Data from Apex Mobile includes reports, images, messages, and PII like email addresses
Access to Apex Mobile data is restricted to journalists and researchers who can verify their background

Announcement: New DDoSecrets Merchandise

227 implied HN points • 04 Mar 23

🪞 Fashion & Beauty Merchandise Design Non-profit

DDoSecrets has launched a new collection of t-shirts and hoodies.
The merchandise store is supported by Science & Design.
Customers can suggest design ideas for future merchandise.

Release: Harita Group (510 GB)

4 HN points • 17 May 23

🌍 World Politics Leaks Environment Corruption Activism Cybersecurity

Emails from Harita Group were leaked, revealing involvement in mining and palm oil plantations.
Harita Group is partnered with Glencore International, which has faced controversies for its unethical practices.
The leak was posted on a ransomware blog on the Tor network, highlighting the group's motivations and challenges.