It is evident to any observer that a large part of the victories in the fight against systemic corruption is coming from citizens or thanks to public support.

Tired of seeing those responsible for the biggest frauds and scams go unpunished, we have promoted and energized a series of citizen mechanisms against corruption, among which we highlight the exemplary case of 15MPARATO, a citizen initiative responsible for the lawsuit that drove the Bankia case and led to the return of several billions to affected people and to the conviction of 65 politicians and bankers, including the former Minister of Economy and former President of the International Monetary Fund, Rodrigo Rato.

Throughout these experiences we have developed technical systems to protect whistleblowers/complainants and to process information coming from their leaks and from citizen journalism. In addition, we promote the legislative normalization of frameworks that protect this right.

In the field of whistleblowers, we are pioneers in Spain in opening leak dropboxes in NGOs and institutions. At Barcelona City Council we opened the first anonymous governmental dropbox using Tor, and we are now replicating it in many other institutions across the country.

We have contributed to the European Directive in defense of whistleblowers and created a Template Law for the Protection of Whistleblowers, which has been used to shape legislation and amendments at state, national, regional and European levels.

Corruption cases in Spain uncovered through Xnet’s DropBox

• The “Blesa Emails,” which led to the conviction of the former Minister of Economy and former President of the International Monetary Fund and 65 additional politicians and bankers, and to the imprisonment of 15 of them:

– The end of an era. 6 reasons for open access →

– 15Mparato →

• The “Blesa Emails” reach public opinion →

• The Caja Madrid “Black Cards” scandal comes to light →

• The Caja Madrid Foundation scandal: Blesa financed PP, PSOE, IU and CCOO with more than 14 million →

• The Working Group against Corruption in Catalonia gets Parliament to approve the Generalitat’s participation in the case against Urdangarín and the Infanta in the Palma Arena case, invalidating the “Botín doctrine” →

• The role of Minister Luis de Guindos in #LuxLeaks →

• Bad practices by the current Bankia leadership and most unions against workers’ interests →

• “Cacique Mayors”: video produced by Xnet based on corruption cases sent by citizens to its leak dropbox →

• A judge investigates another corruption network in the Catalan high-speed rail system →

• The judge also investigates whether Ferrovial inflated steel invoices in the rail project →

• Alleged link between off-the-books payments at PP headquarters, the company COFELY (involved in Operation Púnica), and contracts awarded at Son Espases Hospital →

• A change of materials to cut costs may have caused toxic leaks in the Menorca landfill →

Anonymous and secure dropboxes against systemic abuse and corruption installed in institutions using Xnet’s model

We open anonymous and secure Xnet dropboxes powered by Globaleaks in institutions so that they assume this responsibility (this does not remove the need for citizens to continue monitoring their institutions).

• First prototype of an anonymous and secure dropbox for an institution: Barcelona City Council.
Xnet and Barcelona City Council install the first anonymous citizen whistleblowing dropbox against corruption within an institution →

• Replication of Xnet’s anonymous and secure dropbox prototype in other institutions.

Xnet’s institutional dropbox powered by Globaleaks has been installed in around 300 institutions →

Xnet is a member of WIN Whistleblowers International Network

More information:

Citizen Group against Corruption at the State level

Citizen Group against Corruption in Catalonia

Decalogue for the protection of Whistleblowers

Anti-Corruption Commission of Partido X

How we fight corruption: a manual for citizens

More information about our work to ensure proper protection for informants/whistleblowers across the country:

2017 – Xnet dropboxes to report systemic abuse and corruption
https://xnet-x.net/es/buzon-xnet/

25 June 2018 – Xnet Comprehensive Whistleblower Protection Bill – Replicable template
https://xnet-x.net/es/proposicion-ley-proteccion-integral-alertadores/

10 January 2023 – Urgent: amendments to the Draft Law on the protection of informants/whistleblowers
https://xnet-x.net/es/xnet-enmendar-anteproyecto-ley-proteccion-informantes-ministerio-justicia/

6 February 2023 – Deficiencies in the Law protecting informants/whistleblowers
https://xnet-x.net/es/pedimos-senado-enmiende-ley-defensa-informantes-alertadores/

11 December 2019 – Xnet registers again the first transposition of the EU Whistleblower Protection Law
https://xnet-x.net/es/xnet-primera-transposicion-ley-alertadores-whistleblowers-denunciantes/

2 September 2018 – Our amendments in defense of whistleblowers accepted
https://xnet-x.net/es/aceptadas-nuestras-enmiendas-en-defensa-alertadores-whistelblowers/

13 June 2019 – Xnet registers in Congress the first transposition of the EU Whistleblower Law
https://xnet-x.net/es/xnet-registra-primera-ley-alertadores-ue/

11 February 2019 – Victory for access to information against abuse and fraud #Whistleblowers – Trade Secrets Directive transposition
https://xnet-x.net/es/victoria-acceso-informacion-abusos-whistleblowers-transposicion-directiva-secretos-comerciales/

22 January 2019 – New Whistleblower Protection Bill based on Xnet’s draft: Citizen Alerts Law by Elkarrekin-Podemos in the Basque Parliament
https://xnet-x.net/es/ley-proteccion-alertadores-plantilla-xnet-alertas-ciudadanas-elkarrekin-parlamento-vasco/

14 January 2020 – Xnet denounces that the translation of the European Directive protecting whistleblowers disables its function in Spanish legal transposition
https://xnet-x.net/es/xnet-denuncia-traduccion-directiva-europea-para-defender-alertadores-whistleblowers/

23 January 2020 – Our request to correct the translation of the Whistleblower Protection Directive has been taken up by the new Minister of Justice
https://xnet-x.net/es/peticion-rectificacion-traduccion-alertadores-recogida-ministro-justicia/

25 June 2018 – Xnet registers a Comprehensive Whistleblower Protection Bill in the Parliament of Catalonia
https://xnet-x.net/es/xnet-parlament-catalunya-proposicion-ley-proteccion-alertadores/

28 October 2019 – Hearing: comprehensive whistleblower protection bill within the Generalitat’s jurisdiction
https://www.parlament.cat/web/actualitat/ordre-dia/index.html?p_od0=0101912005

14 September 2022 – Decalogue of recommendations to amend the Informant Protection Bill
https://xnet-x.net/es/decalogo-enmiendas-proyecto-ley-proteccion-informantes/

10 January 2023 – Urgent: amendments to the Informant/Whistleblower Protection Bill
https://xnet-x.net/es/xnet-enmendar-anteproyecto-ley-proteccion-informantes-ministerio-justicia/

Are EU Governments taking whistleblower protection seriously? Progress report on EU Directive
https://whistleblowingnetwork.org/Our-Work/Spotlight/Stories/Are-EU-Governments-Taking-Whistleblower-Protection

27 January 2021 – We respond to the public consultation on the transposition of the Whistleblower Protection Directive by the Ministry of Justice
https://xnet-x.net/es/consulta-publica-directiva-proteccion-whistleblowers-alertadores-ministerio-justicia/

14 January 2020 – Xnet denounces that the translation of the European Directive protecting whistleblowers disables its function in Spanish legal transposition
https://xnet-x.net/es/xnet-denuncia-traduccion-directiva-europea-para-defender-alertadores-whistleblowers/

2018 – Analysis and proposals for necessary amendments to the draft EU Directive on Whistleblower Protection
https://xnet-x.net/es/propuestas-modificaciones-borrador-directiva-ce-proteccion-alertadores-whistleblowers/

19 January 2017 – Xnet installs an anonymous anti-corruption whistleblowing dropbox for the City of Barcelona based on GlobaLeaks and usable with Tor
https://xnet-x.net/ca/bustia-etica-denuncies-anonimes-ciutat-barcelona/

2017 – Xnet warns about the proliferation of anonymous dropboxes that are NOT anonymous
https://xnet-x.net/es/proliferacion-buzones-anonimos-no-lo-son/