Why are Epstein’s emails full of equals signs?
The Verge
February 15, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
The Department of Justice's release of Jeffrey Epstein's emails has sparked intrigue due to the prevalence of garbled symbols, such as equals signs and other cryptic characters, in many of them. This phenomenon has fueled conspiracy theories suggesting the existence of a secret code used by Epstein and his alleged associates. However, experts like Chris Prom, an archivist at the University of Illinois, suggest a more mundane explanation: these symbols are likely artifacts of a flawed email-to-PDF conversion process. The scrambled text appears so consistently that it suggests technical rather than intentional causes.
The emails were converted into PDFs during the DOJ's investigative process, which often introduces formatting issues when translating digital communications to static documents. This conversion can misinterpret or distort certain characters, particularly those with special meanings in programming or encoding, such as equals signs (=) and other ASCII symbols. While the idea of a secret code adds dramatic flair, the reality points to common pitfalls in document conversion tools, which are prone to errors when handling complex text formats.
For tech enthusiasts and digital forensics professionals, this issue highlights the importance of understanding how electronic records are preserved and shared. Errors during file conversions can alter or obscure critical information, potentially affecting public trust in official documents. This case also underscores the challenges of maintaining data integrity across different formats, a concern that extends to law enforcement, judiciary systems, and beyond. The garbled symbols serve as a reminder of the technical limitations that can impact even high-stakes investigations.
Verticals
techconsumer-tech
Originally published on The Verge on 2/15/2026