Why us?

Most services for sending large files look the same: drop the file, get a link, done. The difference lies in what you don't see: who holds the key, what the terms say, and which country's laws apply. Here are the questions we think you should ask, and how we answer them.

Can anyone other than the recipient open the files?

Several of the most widely used services for sending and sharing files have no end-to-end encryption at all. The files are encrypted, but the service always holds the key itself.

With us, you choose based on what you're sending:

• Normally the files are encrypted in transit and stored encrypted with AES-256. If a file goes astray, it's worthless: it can't be unpacked without the keys, and they aren't stored with the files. On top of that, we scan the files for viruses before the recipient gets them. For the vast majority of transfers, that's the best protection: the recipient gets files we've checked for malware, not just files that are locked.
• When it really matters (confidential documents, client files, health information, trade secrets) you also turn on end-to-end encryption. The files are encrypted in the browser before they're uploaded, and the key lives on your phone and the recipient's. Not even we can open them, and so we can't scan them for viruses either. Requires Pro.

Where you see it: the "Scanned" check on each file, or, with end-to-end encryption, the End-to-end encryption (E2E) switch under Options and the "Encrypted on this device" check. Read about the pros and cons.

What if the link ends up with the wrong person?

With most services, a download link works for anyone who gets hold of it. If the email is forwarded, or sent to the wrong address, anyone can download.

With us, you can turn on Verify recipient. Whoever opens the link then has to confirm their email address with a one-time code before anything can be downloaded. A forwarded link opens nothing for outsiders. Requires Pro.

Where you see it: the Verify recipient option under Options before you send. Send sensitive files securely.

Is the file the same one that was sent?

As a recipient, you rarely have any way of knowing that the file wasn't changed along the way.

With us, every file is encrypted in chunks with authenticated encryption: if any of the stored data has been altered, the download stops instead of delivering altered content.

With BitSeal, the recipient can see it too. We make a sealed fingerprint of each file when it comes in, and the download page shows a BitSeal badge next to the file when the content is exactly what was uploaded. Requires Pro.

Where you see it: the BitSeal badge next to the file on the download page. Read about BitSeal.

Are your files used to train AI?

A large file-sharing service has had to withdraw terms that gave it the right to use the files its users uploaded to train machine-learning models. It shows how little it takes: one sentence in the terms.

Our terms say the opposite: no files are used to train AI, neither yours nor the ones others send you, and we don't sell them on. It isn't a setting you have to find and switch off.

Where you see it: section 7 of the terms.

Which country's laws apply to the files?

The largest cloud services are American. That means American law applies, including the CLOUD Act, which can give US authorities access to the data, even when the server is in Europe.

We are bound by EU rules and follow GDPR, and all files are stored on servers in the EU.

Where you see it: the "Stored in the EU" check on each file, and the privacy policy.

Are the files checked before the recipient gets them?

When you get a link from someone you don't know, you don't know what's behind it. Not every service checks.

With us, every file is scanned for viruses and malware before the recipient is notified. It's a resource-intensive process: each file has to be unpacked and gone through before it's passed on, and that costs both time and computing power. We still think it's worth it, because it gives you and the recipient the greatest possible peace of mind. We can't open end-to-end encrypted files, so we can't scan them, and the recipient is told so.

Where you see it: the "Scanned" check on each file. Recipients are emailed only once the scan is done.

What happens when the link has expired?

With most services, the files are gone for good the moment the link expires, even if the recipient was just a day late.

With Pro, you can extend a link, or reopen one that has expired. Files are kept for seven days after expiry. And in shared folders, nothing expires at all.

Where you see it: Account → Track, where each transfer can be extended.

Are you paying with your attention?

Many free services are funded by advertising, often full-screen while the files upload and download.

With us, there are no ads. The service is paid for by the people who use Pro.

Do you know what has happened to the files?

When you press Send, you rarely know whether the email arrived, or whether the files were picked up.

With us, you see it under each file as it happens (uploaded, encrypted, scanned, recipients notified), and with Pro you see who downloaded what, and when. In shared folders, every upload and download is logged with name and time.

Where you see it: the checks on the file row, Account → Track, and the Activity and Transfers tabs in each folder.

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To read more, see Security and privacy and Send sensitive files securely.