Editorial standards

Publishing principles

Whistleaks investigates leaked and open source material for evidence of human rights abuses, corruption and serious wrongdoing. We write for journalists, human rights organisations, researchers and the public, and we aim to be accurate, fair and open about what we know and what we do not.

We publish only when there is a clear public interest: exposing human rights abuses, crime, corruption or serious wrongdoing, protecting public health and safety, or preventing the public from being misled. Curiosity alone is not enough.

Every piece names its author and shows when it was published and last updated. News, analysis and opinion are labelled as such, and we link to the documents and reporting we rely on.

Some of our work may be published as short public stories with fuller reports available to organisations that pay for access. Subscribers, buyers and funders have no say over what we investigate, what we find or what we publish.

Verification and fact-checking

Nothing we publish rests on a single unverified source. Before publication, we check where material came from, whether it is authentic and whether it has been altered, and we corroborate key findings with independent sources wherever possible. Where we draw on other organisations' reporting, we credit and link to it.

We check every figure, date and quote against its original source before publication.

AI tools help us search, sort, translate and flag material, and may assist with research and drafting. They never decide what we publish. A trained person reviews every finding, and a named author edits and is accountable for every piece.

Corrections

If we get something wrong, we correct it promptly and say so on the page, with the date and nature of the correction. Significant corrections are also noted on this page.

To report an error, email corrections@whistleaks.com and tell us which page and claim you mean.

Ethics

We handle leaked data with care for the people in it. We publish personal information only when it is necessary to the story, and we put the safety of sources, victims and their families first.

We do not hack, use deception to obtain data, or pay for leaked material. We never deal with, pay or negotiate with ransomware groups or others who steal data for profit.

Some material that reaches us was obtained unlawfully by others. We consider using it only when the public interest is strong, the material can be verified, and the harm to people named in it is justified. We take legal advice where needed.

Before publishing serious allegations about a person or organisation, we give them a fair opportunity to respond, and we reflect their response.

We protect confidential sources. We will not reveal a source's identity without their consent.

We do not use facial recognition on images of people in sensitive material. Identifying individuals is left to trusted human rights organisations working directly with families and with their consent.

The people who review our material may be exposed to distressing content. We build our tools and working practices to limit that exposure.

Ownership and funding

Whistleaks is published by Whistleaks Limited, a company registered in England and Wales (company number 14531088), incorporated on 8 December 2022 and founded by Billie Nabeel Tabassum. Our registered office is Whistleaks, Studio X, Innovation Centre, Knowledge Gateway, Boundary Road, Colchester, United Kingdom, CO4 3ZQ.

Whistleaks is currently self-funded by its founder and has no outside investors. We will list any grants, funders, investors or paid partnerships on this page. None of them has a say over what we publish.