Frequently asked questions
What if my field phone is taken?
What has already been sent is on the server, encrypted and locked. The phone cannot be used to view it, list it or delete it. What was still waiting in the send queue is encrypted, but will be lost if the phone does not reconnect. From your account, open the session and cut off the phones: it will no longer be able to send anything.
Can I be forced to delete my videos?
Before the lock ends, deletion is technically impossible: the server refuses it, to you as well as to your contacts and to us. You can say so and show it. After the lock ends, a deletion is scheduled 24 hours later and can still be canceled.
What if I am forced to sign in to my account?
If you are forced to check in, from the account or from the field phone, use the duress code. If you are forced to open your account, the lock still prevents any deletion. The decoy account is an option, off by default, with a legal risk you should be aware of.
Can ripoux.fr see my videos?
No. They are encrypted on the phone before sending, and only your key, built from your passphrase, can decrypt them. We see the size and time of uploads. See Tor and anonymity.
What would ripoux.fr hand over in response to a legal demand?
Encrypted data, unreadable without your key, and the metadata listed in Tor and anonymity. We have neither your name, nor your email, nor your phone number.
I have lost my passphrase.
Use your recovery key. Without it, your trusted contacts can rebuild your key: one is enough with the default setting, several if you raised the number of contacts needed. Without either, your images are lost: we cannot recover them for you.
Do I need a dedicated phone?
No. Any recent phone with an up-to-date browser will do, including a borrowed phone. A dedicated phone avoids exposing your personal phone if it is seized.
Do I need to install an app?
No. The field phone opens a web page. You can add it to your home screen, but you do not have to. The trade-off: recording stops if the screen locks or if you switch apps. See The field phone.
Can several people film in the same session?
Yes. As long as the QR is valid (10 minutes), several phones can scan it. Each one sends its own takes.
Can I record several times in the same session?
Yes. Stopping a take brings you back to the recording screen; the next one starts with a press. The session lasts until the end of the recording window. If the protest runs late, open the session from your account and choose Extend recording (+1 h to +12 h, never more than 7 days after the start): the phone resumes sending on its own.
The network is not getting through. Is it still useful?
Yes. Quality drops automatically, down to audio only, and whatever could not be sent waits, encrypted, for the network to return. See Degraded network.
Do my contacts see everything I film?
No, only the sessions opened to them: manual sharing, immediate sharing, reminders then sharing if you do not check in, an alert or the duress code.
Is anything published automatically?
Never, at any step. Only your contacts receive, and they decide.
Do I have to sign in every time?
No. In your browser, the session survives a page reload and extends to a new tab as long as one account tab is open. Closing every tab forgets it. Nothing is written to disk durably.
How much space do I have?
20 GB per account: about 11 hours in 1080p, or 45 hours in 480p. So that a recording in progress is never cut off, a session that is already active can exceed the quota by up to 200 MB.
Who funds it, who tracks you?
The site has no advertising and no trackers, and loads no third-party resources. The code is free software (AGPL-3.0 license): anyone can check what it does.
Can the videos be used as evidence?
The tool provides original, non-re-encoded files, chained hashes, a signed manifest, a third-party timestamp and a chain of custody log. Whether evidence is admissible and how much weight it carries is for the judge to decide. Check with your lawyer or your legal team.
Is it legal to film at a protest?
In France, filming in public places, including officers carrying out their duties, is in principle permitted; publishing the footage is subject to other rules. This guide is not legal advice: ask a legal team.