Privacy Policy

Effective date: January 15, 2026

This policy describes how thedarkmatter.net handles reader data. The short version: this is a static informational site that does not collect personal information, does not run analytics, and does not load third-party scripts. The longer version follows.

What we do and do not collect

Given the subject matter of this site, reader privacy is treated as a first-order design constraint rather than a compliance afterthought.

  • Cookies. DarkMatter Watch does not set cookies. No session cookies, no preference cookies, no consent banners — because there is nothing to consent to.
  • Analytics. No Google Analytics, Plausible, Fathom, or other analytics services are loaded. We do not track page views on a per-reader basis.
  • Third-party scripts. The site loads no third-party JavaScript, ad networks, social widgets, or embedded tracking pixels. Pages render from self-hosted HTML, CSS, and fonts only.
  • Forms. There are no forms on this site. All correspondence takes place by email, which is handled as described in the contact page.
  • Accounts. There are no accounts. There is nothing to sign in to.
  • Server logs. Standard web-server access logs may be generated by the hosting provider for routine operational purposes. These typically include IP address, user agent, and request path, and are not used by us to profile readers. Where the hosting configuration allows it, logs are kept for a minimal retention window.

If you are reading this site over the Tor network or via a VPN, nothing in our setup is designed to deanonymise that access. That is the correct way to read pages on this subject.

Email correspondence

When you email the editorial address, the resulting message is subject to the ordinary limitations of email as a medium: it passes through your provider and ours, and both may retain it under their own policies. For correspondence that should not be read in transit, use the PGP setup described on the contact page.

We do not share, sell, or otherwise disclose the content of reader correspondence to third parties. We do not publish correspondents' email addresses. If a message results in a published correction, the reader is not named unless they have asked to be.

Recommended reader practices

Because this site discusses a subject that attracts adversarial attention, we recommend the same baseline practices we apply ourselves.

Access the site over a privacy-preserving network if that aligns with your threat model. Keep your browser and operating system up to date. Verify the our PGP fingerprint through an independent channel before sending anything sensitive.

None of the above is unique to this site — it is simply good hygiene for reading and writing on privacy-relevant topics in general.

Changes to this policy

If this policy changes, the "Last updated" date at the top of the page will be revised. The latest version is always available at this URL. Material changes — for example, adding any form of analytics — would be unusual given the our stance, and would be called out explicitly.

For the governing document that sits alongside this policy, see the terms of use. For the editorial philosophy it reflects, see the about page.