How Pera keeps answers anonymous
People only tell you the truth if they believe nobody will know it was them. So Pera is built so that answers are kept apart from people, not just hidden behind a setting. Here is exactly how.
What happens when a check-in goes out
- Each round gets its own random secret key, stored encrypted.
- Everyone gets a personal link, worked out from that key at the moment the email is sent. The link itself is never saved anywhere: not in our database, not in our logs, not in our job queue.
- We store a one-way fingerprint (a hash) of each link, so we can check a link is real and has only been used once. The fingerprints are stored in random order, with no names, no email addresses and no times.
What happens when you answer
Your answer is saved with the round it belongs to and the date. That’s it. It isn’t linked to your link, your email address or your name, and we don’t store the time, your IP address or your device.
What happens when the round closes
The round’s secret key and every link fingerprint are deleted. From then on, nobody can work out which link belonged to whom or connect an answer to a person, not even us or anyone with full access to our systems.
What managers see
- Nothing while the round is open, apart from how many people have answered.
- Nothing at all if fewer than five people answered.
- Otherwise, the overall results and every comment, in random order, with email addresses and phone numbers removed.
Reminders go to everyone who got the check-in. Pera doesn’t record which people have answered, so it can’t send reminders only to the people who haven’t.
What anonymity can’t protect
- What you write. If a comment mentions something only you would know, people may guess it was you.
- A forwarded link. Your link is personal. Anyone you send it to could answer as you.
- While a round is open, our systems can tell whether a link has been used, so that it can’t be used twice. They never record which answer came from which link, and that information is deleted when the round closes.
Questions
Can my manager see what I said?
They can see what was said, but not who said it. Comments are shown in random order, without names, and only once at least five people have answered.
Does Pera know if I opened the email?
No. We don’t use tracking pixels or tracked links in check-in emails.
Can I answer more than once?
No. Your link works once. If you open it again, it tells you you’ve already answered.
Can someone else answer with my link?
Anyone with your link could use it, so please don’t forward the email. Links stop working when the round closes.
What if I mention my own name in a comment?
We remove email addresses and phone numbers automatically, but we can’t catch everything. Anything you write is shown as you wrote it, so leave out details that only you would know if you want to stay anonymous.