Briar

Free, open-source peer-to-peer messaging over Tor, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth without central messaging servers; the project is in maintenance mode.

briarproject.org

Zero KYC
GB
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Free, open-source peer-to-peer messaging over Tor, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth without central messaging servers; the project is in maintenance mode.

Common useMessagingMessaging / OfflineOperator dataHosted

Identity checksZero KYCNo document check recorded · identity exposure level 0/4

Evidence and riskVerified evidenceCautionMaterial claims checked against current sources.; those sources show trade-offs worth reading.

Last reviewedReviewed 25 Aug 2026KYC checked 25 Aug 2026 · verified jurisdiction · Source → official siteHow to cite this pageSource coverageVerified evidenceRecorded riskCaution

Evidence and facts

CUNICULA SCORE 4.0

38/100Limited evidencePrivacy 12/25 · Control 0/20 · Transparency 0/20 · Security 17/25 · Accountability 9/10 · Cap 69 · Method

JURISDICTIONGB

CAUTIONThe project entered maintenance mode on 9 July 2026 and limits work to essential security updates and bug fixes. Official pages list grant funding from Small Media, OTF, Internews, NLnet, Prototype Fund and others; no reviewed primary source establishes donor operational control or a backdoor.

AUDITED BYNo audit listed

OPERATOR DATAHosted operator recorded

SOURCE COVERAGE

Verified evidenceTHIRD-PARTY REPORTED8/11Reviewed 25 Aug 2026 · Source → official site

LAST CHECKED2026-08-25

LAST UPDATED2026-08-25

Specs

DOCUMENT CHECKNone recorded

IDENTITY EXPOSURELevel 0/4

KYC TRIGGERSNo central app account or identity KYC is documented; the account exists only on the user's device. Optional feedback and crash reports can include stored email and device information, and mailing lists are operated by SourceForge.

FEEFree

NETWORKSTor, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, FOSS, Android, Desktop

CATEGORIESMessaging, Offline

TORNot listed

REGIONSGlobal availability

Review analysis, source material, related services, and history

Analysis

OVERVIEW

Briar routes peer-to-peer encrypted messaging over Tor, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth with no central server, and its privacy policy states message content and metadata are not accessible to the operator.

LIMITS

The record documents more than $361,100 in Open Technology Fund grants tied to US State Department and USAGM channels, plus Internews and NLnet support, a funding history it flags as relevant to US or EU government threat models.

USEFUL FOR

Activists and journalists who want server-less peer-to-peer messaging and are willing to weigh the project's public-interest grant funding.

Sources · reviewed 2026-07-16

Briar Project ↗

Corporate identity

Registry-sourced, not audited. The facts below come from cited web research rather than a direct registry query. Each claim links its own source.

LEGAL ENTITY: SUBLIME SOFTWARE LTDsource ↗
REGISTRATION NO.: 07051922source ↗
INCORPORATED IN: United Kingdomsource ↗
INCORPORATED ON: 2009-10-21source ↗
REGISTERED ADDRESS: 26 Carlyle Avenue, Brighton, England, BN2 4DRsource ↗
ULTIMATE OWNER: Michael Rogers (75% or more of shares)source ↗

OFFICERS

Michael Rogers (Director)

source ↗

Registry research · reviewed 2026-08-25

Company registry ↗

We wrote about this

Briar Is in Maintenance Mode, Not Shut Down

Frequently Asked Questions

Is identity verification required?

No identity verification is recorded for typical use. No central app account or identity KYC is documented; the account exists only on the user's device. Optional feedback and crash reports can include stored email and device information, and mailing lists are operated by SourceForge.

Which payment methods are accepted?

Accepted payment methods: Tor, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, FOSS, Android, Desktop.

Where is it available?

Recorded availability: GLOBAL.

Is the operator based in a Five Eyes country?

Yes. The recorded jurisdiction is GB, a Five Eyes country (US, UK, CA, AU, NZ). This is jurisdiction context and does not by itself establish that a service is safer or less safe.

How are identity, operator, and evidence fields reported?

Identity exposure is level 0 of 4. A hosted operator is recorded. Jurisdiction is shown as context, not a safety verdict. Source coverage is verified evidence, last reviewed 2026-08-25, and recorded risk is caution.

Which payment networks are supported?

Accepted networks: Tor, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, FOSS, Android, Desktop.

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Compare

Compare withSimpleX ChatKYC, privacy, evidence, risk, fees, limits, jurisdiction, audits, and features.

Sources and history

Terms and privacy policy

No changes to the document we watch since we started checking on 9 Aug 2026. Last checked 9 Aug 2026.

Service history

Latest meaningful changes to the facts shown on this provider page.

26 Aug 2026
Apply full-service rereview and score 4.0
Card summary, Changed at, Checked at, Corporate / Entity type / Note, and 17 more
9 Aug 2026
Mark Briar maintenance mode
Changed at, Checked at, Last reviewed, Privacy warning, and 3 more
9 Aug 2026
Corporate registry information updated
Corporate

Full service history

27 Aug 2026updated
Reconcile score 4.0 evidence
Score assessment / Control model
local-self-custodyunknown
Score assessment / Operator data exposure
limitedunknown
Score assessment / Source model
openunknown
Score review
not setOutcome: PASS; Checked at: 2026-08-25; Inputs: Operator data exposure: unknown; Control model: unknown; Source model: unknown; Audit: Score eligible: no; Reason: No dated, scoped, current audit citation was normalized in the reviewed packet; legacy auditedBy labels receive no score credit.
Review source: official site · public history entry
26 Aug 2026updated
Apply full-service rereview and score 4.0
Card summary
Peer-to-peer messaging over Tor and Bluetooth.P2P messaging over Tor, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Changed at
2026-08-092026-08-25
Checked at
2026-08-092026-08-25
Corporate / Entity type / Note
The website copyright is held by Sublime Software Ltd, which developed Briar, holds the CLA, publishes the app, and is the UK company named as petitioner in related court cases.Briar describes voluntary-board project governance; Sublime Software Ltd holds the website copyright and Companies House lists it as an active UK private limited company.
Corporate / Governance model / Citation
https://briarproject.org/governance/https://briarproject.org/about/
Corporate / Governance model / Value
company-sponsoredmaintainer-group
Corporate / Reviewed at
2026-08-092026-08-25
Corporate / Source
corporate identity pass 2, cited web research via grok web searchBriar official governance/copyright pages and Companies House, accessed 2026-08-25
Corporate / Ultimate owner / Value
Michael RogersMichael Rogers (75% or more of shares)
Description
Encrypted peer-to-peer messaging over Tor, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth that operates without central servers.Free, open-source peer-to-peer messaging over Tor, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth without central messaging servers; the project is in maintenance mode.
Jurisdiction
??GB
Jurisdiction confidence
unknownverified
KYC last checked
2026-06-222026-08-25
Kyc note
No account/KYC requirement for the app; website feedback/support paths can create normal support metadata.No central app account or identity KYC is documented; the account exists only on the user's device. Optional feedback and crash reports can include stored email and device information, and mailing lists are operated by SourceForge.
Last reviewed
2026-08-092026-08-25
Networks
FOSS, Android, DesktopTor, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, FOSS, Android, Desktop
Privacy warning
The project entered maintenance mode on 9 July 2026 and now limits work to essential security updates and bug fixes. It also receives public-interest grant funding from OTF/USAGM, Internews, NLnet, Prototype Fund and related donors; relevant for US/EU-government threat models.The project entered maintenance mode on 9 July 2026 and limits work to essential security updates and bug fixes. Official pages list grant funding from Small Media, OTF, Internews, NLnet, Prototype Fund and others; no reviewed primary source establishes donor operational control or a backdoor.
Source reviewed
https://briarproject.org/news/2026-maintenance-mode/primary_source_rereview_2026-08-25
Score assessment
not setOperator data exposure: limited; Control model: local-self-custody; Source model: open
Updated at
2026-08-092026-08-25
Url
https://briarproject.orghttps://briarproject.org/
Review source: official site · public history entry
9 Aug 2026updated
Mark Briar maintenance mode
Changed at
not set2026-08-09
Checked at
2026-06-232026-08-09
Last reviewed
2026-06-222026-08-09
Privacy warning
Receives public-interest grant funding from OTF/USAGM, Internews, NLnet, Prototype Fund and related donors; relevant for US/EU-government threat models.The project entered maintenance mode on 9 July 2026 and now limits work to essential security updates and bug fixes. It also receives public-interest grant funding from OTF/USAGM, Internews, NLnet, Prototype Fund and related donors; relevant for US/EU-government threat models.
Source reviewed
official sitehttps://briarproject.org/news/2026-maintenance-mode/
Status
okwarning
Updated at
2026-06-222026-08-09
Review source: official site · public history entry
9 Aug 2026updated
Corporate registry information updated
Corporate
not setEntity type: company; Governance model: company-sponsored; Repository url: https://code.briarproject.org/briar/briar; Legal entity: SUBLIME SOFTWARE LTD; Registration number: 07051922; Registry url: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/07051922; Incorporation jurisdiction: United Kingdom; Incorporation date: 2009-10-21; Registered address: 26 Carlyle Avenue, Brighton, England, BN2 4DR; Ultimate owner: Michael Rogers; Officers: Michael Rogers (Director)
Review source: official site · public history entry
8 Aug 2026updated
Provider summary rewritten
Description
Encrypted peer-to-peer messaging app for activists and journalists. Works over Tor, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth without central servers; official privacy policy says Briar cannot access message content or metadata.Encrypted peer-to-peer messaging over Tor, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth that operates without central servers.
Review source: official site · public history entry
7 Aug 2026updated
Provider summary rewritten
Card summary
not setPeer-to-peer messaging over Tor and Bluetooth.
Review source: official site · public history entry
6 Aug 2026updated
Provider presentation updated
Best for
General usagenot set
Evidence status
not setverified
Recorded risk
not setcaution
Tagline
A privacy-preserving tool offering genuine utility.not set
Trust level
cautionnot set
Review source: official site · public history entry
24 Jun 2026updated
Provider facts reviewed and updated
Checked at
2026-06-222026-06-23
Geo
not setGLOBAL
Review source: official site · public history entry
23 Jun 2026updated
Provider facts reviewed and updated
Checked at
not set2026-06-22
Description
Encrypted peer-to-peer messaging app designed for activists and journalists. Works over Tor, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth (offline mesh) without central servers.Encrypted peer-to-peer messaging app for activists and journalists. Works over Tor, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth without central servers; official privacy policy says Briar cannot access message content or metadata.
Jurisdiction
not set??
KYC last checked
2026-03-132026-06-22
Kyc note
Advertises No-KYC, but strictly adhere to OPSEC rules. Access via Tor, pay with XMR.No account/KYC requirement for the app; website feedback/support paths can create normal support metadata.
Last reviewed
2026-03-132026-06-22
Privacy warning
Receives US government funding via Open Technology Fund (OTF/USAGM). OTF also funds Tor and Signal — no backdoors documented in Briar. Relevant concern for activists with adversarial US government threat models.Receives public-interest grant funding from OTF/USAGM, Internews, NLnet, Prototype Fund and related donors; relevant for US/EU-government threat models.
Source reviewed
older source, not independently verifiedofficial site
Updated at
2026-03-132026-06-22
Review source: official site · public history entry
22 Jun 2026updated
Ship trust audit remediation pass
Jurisdiction confidence
not setunknown
KYC last checked
not set2026-03-13
Last reviewed
not set2026-03-13
Source reviewed
not setolder source, not independently verified
Review source: older source, not independently verified · public history entry
1 Apr 2026updated
Audit remediation — gitignore, font cache, services status, Messaging bucket, CSP img-src, muted contrast AAA
Status
not setok
Review source: source not recorded · public history entry
29 Mar 2026updated
KYC risk level system + advanced directory filters
KYC level
not set0
Review source: source not recorded · public history entry
15 Mar 2026updated
SEO hardening, OG images, ErrorBoundary, Zod validation, CSS article extraction
Countries
noneGLOBAL
Review source: source not recorded · public history entry
14 Mar 2026updated
Provider presentation updated
Fee
not setFree
Trending
not setno
Updated at
not set2026-03-13
Review source: source not recorded · public history entry
12 Mar 2026updated
Provider facts reviewed and updated
Privacy warning
not setReceives US government funding via Open Technology Fund (OTF/USAGM). OTF also funds Tor and Signal — no backdoors documented in Briar. Relevant concern for activists with adversarial US government threat models.
Trust level
verifiedcaution
Review source: source not recorded · public history entry
10 Mar 2026created
Provider facts reviewed and updated
Provider profile
not setcreated
Review source: source not recorded · public history entry

Only fields shown on the provider page are tracked. Private identifiers are never published.

Evidence basis: Claims on this page are linked to published sources for comparison, not certification, audit, endorsement, or recommendation; read the methodology and coverage map before relying on an entry.