GlobaLeaks
GlobaLeaks is a free, open-source whistleblowing platform operated by the Milan-based non-profit WBS, providing encrypted, anonymous reporting channels aligned with ISO 37002 and EU Directive 2019/1937, and adopted by 10,000+ projects across media, civil society, and public administrations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersMilan, Italy
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What GlobaLeaks does
GlobaLeaks is a free, open-source whistleblowing and secure reporting platform developed and maintained by Whistleblowing Solutions Impresa Sociale S.r.l. (WBS), a Milan-based Italian social enterprise (impresa sociale) operating with a small team of 1-10 employees. The platform enables organizations and individuals to set up encrypted, anonymous submission channels for whistleblowers, with technical components including Tor onion service support, two-factor authentication, and multi-language interfaces spanning 70+ languages. It is engineered to align with international compliance frameworks including ISO 37002 (whistleblowing management systems), the EU Whistleblower Directive 2019/1937, and GDPR, which positions it as a default-compliant option for European public bodies and regulated entities.
The product is distributed through multiple channels: direct download for self-hosted deployments, partner-operated hosting via the Hermes Center for Transparency, and pre-configured instances delivered through partnerships with organizations such as Transparency International and the European Commission's Speak Up Europe project. The user base spans independent media, civil-society activists, public administrations (notably through the WhistleblowingPA initiative for Italian public bodies), and corporate compliance programs, with reported adoption by 10,000+ projects worldwide. Development is active, evidenced by a continuous release cadence through 2025.
The business model is non-commercial at its core: the software is free and open-source, and revenue mechanics derive from philanthropic grants (Open Society Foundations, Open Technology Fund, European Commission) and a limited set of paid services around hosted deployment, customization, and training. The operating entity is structured as a social enterprise rather than a for-profit company, and financial scale is not publicly disclosed.
GlobaLeaks firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- GlobaLeaks
- Legal name
- Whistleblowing Solutions Impresa Sociale S.r.l.
- Website
- https://globaleaks.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- GlobaLeaks is a free, open-source whistleblowing platform operated by the Milan-based non-profit WBS, providing encrypted, anonymous reporting channels aligned with ISO 37002 and EU Directive 2019/1937, and adopted by 10,000+ projects across media, civil society, and public administrations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
GlobaLeaks industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Whistleblowing Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Secure/Encrypted Messaging (BPAMACAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Open-Source & Developer Communities (BPAMABAM)
Keywords
Where GlobaLeaks is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Milan
- HQ country
- Italy
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
GlobaLeaks business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Open Source Software Distribution: The core GlobaLeaks software is distributed free of charge as open-source software. Revenue is not generated from software licensing but through donations, grants from foundations like Open Society Foundations, and potentially support/services engagements.
- Donations and Sponsorships: The project accepts donations through its website and maintains sponsorship relationships with organizations like EDRI, OTF, and others to fund ongoing development and maintenance.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free Open Source - Core Platform |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
GlobaLeaks product offering
Product offeringCore offering
GlobaLeaks provides free, open-source software that enables organizations to set up and maintain a secure, anonymous whistleblowing platform. The framework supports Tor-based anonymity, end-to-end encryption, customizable reporting questionnaires, two-way whistleblower-recipient communication, case management, and multi-language deployment, with built-in compliance with ISO 37002, EU Directive 2019/1937, and GDPR. Distribution is free via Debian packages, Docker containers, and GitHub releases, with sustainability funded through donations and grants.
Product overview
GlobaLeaks is a single unified open-source software platform for secure whistleblowing and anonymous reporting. The core GlobaLeaks software enables organizations to deploy secure whistleblowing initiatives with features including end-to-end encryption, Tor anonymity support, multi-language localization (70+ languages), and compliance with ISO 37002, EU Directive 2019/1937, and GDPR. The platform is distributed as Debian packages for multiple Linux distributions and as Docker containers, with supporting services including online demo (try.globaleaks.org), full documentation (docs.globaleaks.org), and community forums.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- GlobaLeaks Free, open-source whistleblowing software framework that enables organizations to deploy and maintain a secure, anonymous reporting platform. Features include Tor network anonymity, end-to-end encryption, customizable reporting questionnaires, two-way communication between whistleblowers and recipients, case management, multi-language support (70+ languages), and built-in compliance with ISO 37002, EU Directive 2019/1937, and GDPR. Distributed as Debian/Ubuntu packages, Docker containers, and GitHub releases.
Quantifiable outcome
- Adopted by 10,000+ projects worldwide
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use GlobaLeaks
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
GlobaLeaks technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
GlobaLeaks partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Transparency InternationalcoreGlobaLeaks collaborates with Transparency International on multiple initiatives including the Speak Up Europe project and the WhistleblowingPA initiative in Italy. Transparency International chapters in Bulgaria, France, Hungary, Latvia, Romania, and Slovenia implement the GlobaLeaks framework to provide secure corruption reporting channels.
- Localization LabcoreLocalization Lab community provides translation and localization support for GlobaLeaks, enabling the platform to be available in over 70 languages including Chinese, Spanish, Arabic, French, and German.
- European Digital Rights (EDRI)minorEDRI (European Digital Rights) is listed as a friend and sponsor of GlobaLeaks, supporting digital rights and privacy-enhancing technologies.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
GlobaLeaks competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SecureDrop: SecureDrop is a free, open-source whistleblower submission system maintained by the Freedom of the Press Foundation. It is the most direct comparable to GlobaLeaks: both are community-led open-source projects providing secure, anonymous document submission channels primarily for journalists and civil society, with overlapping deployment audiences and similar threat models.
- WhistleB: WhistleB is a Nordic-origin secure whistleblowing and integrity reporting service now part of NAVEX. It directly overlaps with GlobaLeaks' corporate whistleblowing use case, particularly for European organizations needing EU Directive 2019/1937 compliance.
- People Intouch (SpeakUp): SpeakUp by People Intouch is a European-focused whistleblower hotline and case management platform serving multinational corporates. It is directly comparable to GlobaLeaks' corporate compliance use case, particularly for organizations subject to EU Directive 2019/1937.
- Sygnal (Integrity Line): Sygnal offers an Integrity Line whistleblowing platform for corporates and public bodies, with multilingual support and EU Directive 2019/1937 compliance. It directly competes with GlobaLeaks in the regulated multilingual enterprise and public-sector whistleblowing segment.
- Whispli: Whispli is an anonymous two-way communication and whistleblower reporting platform serving corporates, governments, and NGOs. It directly competes with GlobaLeaks on secure anonymous reporting functionality but is a commercial SaaS offering rather than open source.
Broad incumbents
- EQS Group: EQS Group operates EQS Integrity Line, a European-leading commercial whistleblowing platform with strong EU regulatory positioning. It targets the same EU Directive 2019/1937-driven enterprise compliance demand as GlobaLeaks, including public bodies, but with a paid SaaS model and integrated compliance suite.
- NAVEX Global: NAVEX Global is the largest commercial ethics and compliance platform, offering NAVEX WhistleB and EthicsPoint for enterprise whistleblowing hotlines. It competes with GlobaLeaks in the corporate compliance segment driven by EU Directive 2019/1937 and similar regulations, but operates as a closed-source SaaS vendor rather than an open-source community project.
- EthicsPoint: EthicsPoint, now under NAVEX, is one of the longest-established commercial whistleblower hotline services for corporate compliance programs. It competes with GlobaLeaks for enterprise ethics and compliance reporting deployments at scale.
Emerging players
- OneTrust: OneTrust offers an ethics line and integrity module as part of its broader trust intelligence and GRC platform. It is an emerging player in dedicated whistleblowing but competes by bundling whistleblower functionality into a wider compliance suite that enterprises already use.
- DisclosureAssist: DisclosureAssist is a smaller commercial platform providing anonymous whistleblower reporting tools and advisory services. It targets a similar SMB and civil society audience as GlobaLeaks but operates as a paid service.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
GlobaLeaks social profiles
Digital presenceGlobaLeaks compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
GlobaLeaks financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
GlobaLeaks leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
GlobaLeaks funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
GlobaLeaks M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about GlobaLeaks
What does GlobaLeaks do?
GlobaLeaks provides free, open-source software that enables organizations to set up and maintain a secure, anonymous whistleblowing platform. The framework supports Tor-based anonymity, end-to-end encryption, customizable reporting questionnaires, two-way whistleblower-recipient communication, case management, and multi-language deployment, with built-in compliance with ISO 37002, EU Directive 2019/1937, and GDPR. Distribution is free via Debian packages, Docker containers, and GitHub releases, with sustainability funded through donations and grants.
Is GlobaLeaks a public or private company?
GlobaLeaks is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was GlobaLeaks founded?
GlobaLeaks was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is GlobaLeaks based?
GlobaLeaks is headquartered in Milan, Italy, in the Europe region.
How does GlobaLeaks make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Open Source Software Distribution is the primary driver. The others are donations and Sponsorships.
Who are GlobaLeaks's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SecureDrop, WhistleB, People Intouch (SpeakUp), Sygnal (Integrity Line) and Whispli. Broad incumbents are EQS Group, NAVEX Global and EthicsPoint. Emerging players are OneTrust and DisclosureAssist.
Does GlobaLeaks have an API?
No public API is recorded for GlobaLeaks.
What industry is GlobaLeaks in?
GlobaLeaks's product category is Whistleblowing Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMACAG, Secure/Encrypted Messaging, with a secondary code of BPAMABAM, Open-Source & Developer Communities. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7372.