Is Briar still no-KYC in 2026?

Briar is still recorded as no KYC in 2026. Encrypted peer-to-peer messaging over Tor, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth that operates without central servers.

Zero KYC
Evidence and score →

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Common useMessagingMessaging / Offline

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

Evidence and riskVerifiedCautionClaims checked against current primary sources; those sources show trade-offs worth reading.

Last reviewedReviewed 2026-08-09KYC checked 2026-06-22 · unknown jurisdiction · Source → official siteHow to cite this page

Evidence and score

EVIDENCEVerified

RISKCaution

JURISDICTIONUnknown

CAUTIONThe 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.

AUDITED BYNo audit listed

PRIVACY SCORE

Why privacy is 90/100Formula 3.0

BaselineStarting privacy exposure score: +100
Identity exposureNo required account or identity data recorded (level 0 of 4): 0
Operator exposureHosted operator with unknown jurisdiction: -10

Full scoring method

EVIDENCE CONFIDENCE

THIRD-PARTY REPORTED8/11

Why evidence is 94/100Formula 3.0

Source coverageMaterial claims checked against current sources: +70
Review ageOldest recorded check is 48 days old: +24

Full scoring method

METHODOLOGYHow both scores are computed →

LAST CHECKED2026-08-09

LAST UPDATED2026-08-09

Specs

DOCUMENT CHECKNone recorded

IDENTITY EXPOSURELevel 0/4

KYC TRIGGERSNo account/KYC requirement for the app; website feedback/support paths can create normal support metadata.

FEEFree

NETWORKSFOSS, Android, Desktop

CATEGORIESMessaging, Offline

TORNot listed

REGIONSGlobal availability

About

Encrypted peer-to-peer messaging over Tor, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth that operates without central servers.

Terms and privacy policy

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

We re-read this document on a schedule and compare the text against our archive of what it said before. Changes are recorded as facts about the text; what a change means for you is a separate judgement.

Record edit history

Field-level changes reconstructed from the committed dataset. Each entry states when the record changed, the commit reason, and the source revision.

2026-08-08updated
chore(data): concise summaries batch 3
source commit 959a999b ↗ · official_site_batch_4_2026-06-22
1 change
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.
2026-08-07updated
fix(cards): authored card summaries, sweep 2/5 (records 41-80)
source commit fd19de6f ↗ · official_site_batch_4_2026-06-22
1 change
cardSummary
not setPeer-to-peer messaging over Tor and Bluetooth.
2026-08-06updated
feat: consolidate comparisons scores and design system
source commit 6285d0d6 ↗ · official_site_batch_4_2026-06-22
5 changes
bestFor
["General usage"]not set
evidenceStatus
not setverified
riskLevel
not setcaution
tagline
A privacy-preserving tool offering genuine utility.not set
trustLevel
cautionnot set
2026-06-24updated
data: apply verified provider metadata updates
source commit 71793a97 ↗ · official_site_batch_4_2026-06-22
2 changes
checkedAt
2026-06-222026-06-23
geo
not set["GLOBAL"]
2026-06-23updated
data: complete service trust refresh pass
source commit 49dded06 ↗ · official_site_batch_4_2026-06-22
9 changes
checkedAt
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??
kycLastChecked
2026-03-132026-06-22
kycNote
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.
lastReviewed
2026-03-132026-06-22
privacyWarning
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.
reviewSource
legacy_seed_unverifiedofficial_site_batch_4_2026-06-22
updatedAt
2026-03-132026-06-22
2026-06-22updated
feat: ship trust audit remediation pass
source commit be0ddb43 ↗ · legacy_seed_unverified
4 changes
jurisdictionConfidence
not setunknown
kycLastChecked
not set2026-03-13
lastReviewed
not set2026-03-13
reviewSource
not setlegacy_seed_unverified
2026-04-01updated
fix: audit remediation — gitignore, font cache, services status, Messaging bucket, CSP img-src, muted contrast AAA
source commit 92b45935 ↗
1 change
status
not setok
2026-03-29updated
feat: KYC risk level system + advanced directory filters
source commit 8ab757ea ↗
1 change
kycLevel
not set0
2026-03-15updated
feat: SEO hardening, OG images, ErrorBoundary, Zod validation, CSS article extraction
source commit 3574c1d5 ↗
1 change
countries
[]["GLOBAL"]
2026-03-14updated
style: eliminate all inline styles — centralized design system complete
source commit 1958f405 ↗
3 changes
fee
not setFree
trending
not setfalse
updatedAt
not set2026-03-13
2026-03-12updated
i18n: restructure existing articles + guides to [locale] routing, update services data
source commit 14294a51 ↗
2 changes
privacyWarning
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.
trustLevel
verifiedcaution
2026-03-10created
feat: i18n restructure, deep VC intel injection (87/87), Follow the Money UI
source commit dc0ef968 ↗
1 change
record
not setcreated

Creation events are summarized. Internal affiliate and numeric identity fields are excluded; unsupported ownership and intelligence claims remain redacted.

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. These records 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 Rogerssource ↗

OFFICERS

Michael Rogers (Director)

source ↗

Registry research · reviewed 2026-08-09

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 account/KYC requirement for the app; website feedback/support paths can create normal support metadata.

Which payment methods are accepted?

Accepted payment methods: FOSS, Android, Desktop.

Where is it available?

Recorded availability: GLOBAL.

Is the operator based in a Five Eyes country?

The jurisdiction is not publicly confirmed. Check the provider site for incorporation details.

How are privacy and evidence calculated?

The privacy score is 90/100 and measures identity and operator exposure. Evidence confidence is 94/100 and measures source coverage and review age. Recorded risk is shown separately as caution. Every factor is listed on this page.

Which payment networks are supported?

Accepted networks: FOSS, Android, Desktop.

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Compare

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

Evidence basis: Cunicula records source-backed claims for comparison, not certification, audit, endorsement, or a recommendation engine; read the methodology and coverage map before relying on an entry.