PrivateBin is a self-hosted, zero-knowledge text hosting service and secret sharing tool. It utilizes browser-based AES 256-bit encryption to ensure that data is encrypted on the client side before transmission, meaning the hosting server cannot read or recover the original content.
The project distinguishes itself by using URL fragments to distribute decryption keys, preventing the secret key from ever being sent to the server. It supports the distribution of both encrypted text and files, which are compressed and encrypted locally prior to storage.
The platform includes capabilities for anonymous discussion threads, customizable content expiration policies, and pluggable storage backends. Additional functionality covers markdown rendering, syntax highlighting, and IP-based submission rate limiting to prevent system abuse.