CIA reaches out to informants fluent in Farsi, Korean, and Chinese

The CIA on Wednesday announced that it was providing instructions on how anonymous sources in foreign countries such as Iran, China, and North Korea, can provide tips to the agency without alerting their own authorities.

The announcement comes after the agency provided similar instructions in Russian last year, amid that country's war with Ukraine. The instructions on Wednesday are in Farsi, Mandarin, and Korean. Farsi is the language of Iran and its neighbors, while Mandarin is the predominant language in China.

The instructions are posted to the dark web and on some social media platforms, and are embedded in text-only videos and infographics, per NBC News.

“People are trying to reach out to us from around the world and we are offering them instructions for how to do that safely,” the CIA said in a statement. “The security of those willing to reach out to us around the world is of paramount importance to us, and we want them to do so as safely as possible.”

The directions instruct possible sources to stay off of their home or work computers, ensure their browsers are up-to-date and only use the latest browsers, use the browser's private mode, delete their search and browser histories, and use a Tor network or VPN service that is not located in China, Iran, or North Korea. They should also use a VPN "kill switch" if possible, should they lose connection.

The agency noted that it would evaluate any information that it receives, which can take time, and encouraged tipsters to monitor their spam folders for any response from the CIA.

“The evaluation process of each message may take time," the agency said. "Based upon our assessment of your security situation, CIA may not reply.”