Zero-knowledge relay.
A server designed to know as little as a server can know, for as short a time as possible.
A zero-knowledge relay is a server that provides its service — storage and delivery — without the ability to read what it handles. BurnPony's relay stores the encrypted envelope and minimal bookkeeping; the decryption key travels in the URL fragment and never arrives.
What it is
Every server is a future subpoena target, breach headline, or curious-admin story. The zero-knowledge design answers all three the same way: the interesting data was never there. What a compromise of the relay yields is ciphertext with a countdown attached.
Why it matters
The design is enforced by structure, not policy — browsers don't send fragments, so the relay couldn't collect keys even if its operator turned malicious tomorrow. That's a stronger promise than any privacy policy.
Related terms
Common questions.
Why is there a server at all?
Asynchrony. You and the recipient are rarely online at the same moment; the relay holds the sealed note until they open the link, then deletes it on the last view or at expiry — whichever comes first.
Can I run the relay myself?
The app supports a custom server URL in Settings today, and each note remembers its server. The relay's source is planned for public release; the roadmap tracks it.
Get BurnPony
Free self-destructing encrypted notes for iPhone. Recipients need only a browser. No accounts, no tracking.