The Architecture of Trust

I don't just write about privacy; I practice it.

A website about data sovereignty should not be collecting your data. That's why our policy is simple, transparent, and strict. I collect only what is absolutely necessary to run the site and send the newsletter. Nothing more.

What I Collect

Email Address — To send you our newsletter and updates. I send you our latest articles and resources. I never sell or share your email.

Name (Optional) — To personalize your newsletter greeting. Only used for display in emails. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Analytics Data — To understand which articles and resources resonate with our audience. I collect the pages you view, your referring source, and anonymized technical details like browser and device type. Collection is cookie-free, first-party, and uses rotating daily salts so you cannot be tracked across days. For logged-in members, I also record your member ID. I never sell or share this data with third parties.

What I Track

Newsletter Opens — To gauge how interested our subscribers are after the sign up. I cannot see who opened.

Link Clicks within the Newsletter — To help understand what content members are interested in.

That's it.

What I DO NOT Collect

If it doesn't align with my mission, I don't do what the industry considers "standard":

❌ No Tracking Pixels — I don't use Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, or any third-party tracking scripts.

❌ No Cookies for Tracking — I don't use cookies to follow your browsing habits across the web.

❌ IP addresses — I don't collect your IP address for tracking purposes.

❌ No Data Selling — I will never sell, rent, or share your data with advertisers, data brokers, or anyone else.

❌ No Affiliate Kickbacks — I don't participate in affiliate programs, and I never accept payment for positive coverage. When I recommend a product (like Proton), I do it because I believe in it, not because I get paid.

The "Third-Party" Reality Check

Honesty is key: I use Ghost Pro for hosting, analytics (Ghost uses TinyBird) and emailing our newsletter (Ghost uses Mailgun as the relay service). While I don't control the data collected by these providers, I choose vendors who do not sell data and who adhere to strict privacy standards (GDPR/Swiss Privacy).

I can't run internet infrastructure alone, but I can choose partners who share our values. This is the exact same scrutiny I recommend you apply when choosing your own tools.

Your Rights

You're in control of your data.

Access — You can request a copy of the data I hold about you.
Delete — You can request that I delete your data immediately.
Unsubscribe — You can unsubscribe from our newsletter with one click.

Why This Matters

Most websites treat your data as a commodity. They sell it to the highest bidder. They track you across the web to build a profile they can monetize. I refuse to do that. I'm building a community based on trust. If I break that trust, I break the mission.

On Our Imagery and AI Use

I write critically about AI and surveillance technology. Practicing transparency about the tools I use is part of practicing what we preach.

Our Images

You've probably noticed the illustrations. They're warm, a little playful, and hopefully memorable. They're also AI-generated—created with Midjourney.

I'm not a cartoonist. I'm a writer and a researcher. I could spend hours searching stock photo sites for generic, soulless imagery that every other blog uses, or I could hire an illustrator—which, at the volume we publish, just isn't sustainable right now. Midjourney lets me produce consistent, family-friendly visuals that match the tone of the writing without pulling focus from what actually matters: the content.

This is a trade-off I've made consciously. The images are tools, not content. They don't replace research, analysis, or writing. They accompany it. If that calculation changes and we grow to a point where commissioning original illustration is viable that's the direction I'd prefer to go.

Note: I also use ComfyUI on my local computer, but prefer MidJourney for the image style I have on Firegap.

Our Editing Process

I write every article myself—the research, the analysis, the opinions, the voice. But I do use an AI assistant for proofreading and editing support. It helps me catch typos, tighten sentences, and flag inconsistencies I might miss after staring at a draft for too long. It doesn't think for me, write for me, or shape the arguments. It polishes the delivery.