After reading this thread I had the question on whether it is possible to verify you have certain information without revealing who you are to others.
Is it possible to use zero knowledge proofs to verify journalism sources?
Submitted 7 months ago by Danterious@lemmy.dbzer0.com to cybersecurity@infosec.pub
CyberSeeker@discuss.tchncs.de 7 months ago
Possible? Yes. Likely? Not at all.
To perform a zero knowledge proof, you’d have to have structured data to support the claim, which most whistleblowers would not have. If a whistleblower already had the hard evidence in hand, e.g., serial numbers and timestamps, they could have just provided those anonymously, and someone could follow up. The problem is, you can’t always get a copy of the hard evidence without revealing your intent to the employer, or at least, other employees.
Presumably most whistleblowers are making unsubstantiated claims that something happened, or maybe with light evidence. Based on who they are, a journalist or investigator may then elect to follow up and dig up the hard evidence to support the claim. Rarely, they would be willing to provide an affidavit under oath, which itself is not enough to pursue criminal charges (though it could help build a case around intent or willful neglect, or help support a warrant or discovery).