New CPJ, Internet Society fact sheet on why journalists need encryption
By Michael De Dora, CPJ Washington Advocacy Manager
on March 26, 2020 3:00 PM EDT
The Committee to Protect Journalists and Internet Society today released a joint fact sheet that explains the importance of encryption to press freedom and the free flow of information.
Encryption is the process of scrambling information so it can only be read by someone with the keys to open and unscramble the information. As such, it offers essential protection for anyone who communicates and shares files electronically—as journalists do routinely, especially those observing measures to restrict movement amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“If journalists cannot communicate in confidence with colleagues and sources, they cannot do their jobs in safety,” the fact sheet explains. “Likewise, if they cannot protect the anonymity of their sources, those sources may not come forward, and the public will pay the price.
https://cpj.org/2020/03/cpj-internet-society-journalist-encryption-fact/