Session is an open source encrypted messaging app that requires no phone number or email address to sign up. Instead of routing messages through centralized servers, Session uses a decentralized network of over 2,000 nodes running the onion routing protocol, similar to Tor, ensuring that no single server knows both the message origin and destination.
The Session Technology Foundation took over stewardship of Session back in October 2024, succeeding the Australia-based Oxen Privacy Tech Foundation (OPTF).
The transition wasn't purely administrative; it was triggered by Australian authorities' probes into Session's operations and the threat of anti-encryption laws that could compel backdoors.
Alexander Linton, who worked as a journalist before joining the Session project, now serves as President of the Session Technology Foundation.
In an email interview, we discussed his transition from journalism to privacy advocacy, Session's approach to trust and safety without centralized moderation, and the threats that surround encrypted communication.
How Did You Get from Being a Journalist into Leading the Session Technology Foundation?
When I was working in a newsroom, it became very clear to me, both from my own experience and from observing my peers, that there was a real gap when it came to secure communication. Journalists handle sensitive information every day, and yet the tools available to us were never built with our safety or our sources’ safety in mind. You could feel that vulnerability.
So when I heard there was a team in my hometown building a secure messaging tool, I knew I had to be involved. I joined the project seven years ago with the simple belief that people deserve the ability to communicate without surveillance or unnecessary exposure.
Over the years, I applied myself in every way I could, learning from the team, contributing wherever I added value, and helping shape Session into what it has become.
Leading the Session Technology Foundation today feels like a natural continuation of that same mission: making truly private, secure communication accessible to the people who need it most. It started as a personal frustration and turned into a global responsibility, and I’m grateful for that journey every day.
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