1. Why Funding Transparency Matters
Readers should be able to understand who controls a publication, the principal ways it is financed, and whether a financial relationship could reasonably affect its coverage.
Digital Liberty therefore separates ownership, funding, commercial activity, and editorial judgment in its public disclosures.
Funding transparency does not require disclosure of private bank details, individual salaries, commercially sensitive contracts, or confidential reader information.
It does require honest disclosure of material ownership or control, significant financial dependence, and subject-specific conflicts that may affect editorial coverage.
2. Ownership and Editorial Control
Digital Liberty is an independently operated digital publication.
Editorial control rests with its Founding Editor and Publisher, Mira Kulasekara, unless a later change is disclosed on the Publisher and Legal Information page.
No advertiser, sponsor, client, donor, platform, technology company, political actor, government, source, or commercial partner is entitled to appoint the editor, approve independent conclusions, suppress verified criticism, or prevent the correction of a material error.
Financial support does not give a funder ownership of Digital Liberty’s independent editorial judgment.
3. Potential Funding Categories
Digital Liberty’s present or future funding may include:
- Publisher support
- Advertising
- Clearly labeled sponsored or partner content
- Affiliate revenue
- Content licensing and syndication
- Commissioned research or publishing services
- Events
- Reader support
- Grants and donations
- Training
- Consulting
- Other lawful commercial activities
Listing a funding category does not mean that the category is active at all times.
Every active funding method must operate under the relevant editorial, advertising, sponsored-content, privacy, conflict-of-interest, and corrections policies.
A commercial arrangement cannot purchase an undisclosed editorial outcome.
4. Article-Level Disclosure
An article should receive a specific disclosure when its subject, author, reporting process, access, travel, data, research, production, or publication was materially funded or supported by an interested individual or organization.
The disclosure should explain the nature of the relationship and, where relevant, whether the funder had a role in:
- Topic selection
- Source selection
- Access
- Data or research
- Editorial review
- Production
- Conclusions
A general funding statement must not be used to conceal a direct financial or commercial relationship with the subject of an article.
5. Grants, Donations, and Reader Support
Digital Liberty may accept grants and donations where their terms are compatible with editorial independence, applicable law, and the publication’s reputation and public responsibilities.
Restricted funding should be identified by project where the support is material.
Unrestricted financial support does not entitle a funder to:
- Guaranteed coverage
- Editorial access
- Favorable treatment
- Control over editorial priorities
- Suppression of legitimate criticism
- Prevention of corrections
Where support from a grant-making organization or donor is material to the publication or a specific project, Digital Liberty may disclose the identity of the supporting organization unless disclosure is prevented by law or a compelling safety reason.
Anonymous funding that creates a serious conflict-of-interest or undue influence risk may be declined.
6. Revenue Concentration and Material Dependence
At least annually, Digital Liberty will assess whether a single funding source, related group, or sector represents a material concentration of revenue or significant in-kind support.
Where such dependence could reasonably affect how readers assess the publication’s independence, Digital Liberty will disclose the concentration in a meaningful form.
Where exact financial figures are confidential, disclosure may use a percentage range or similar description rather than a precise amount.
The responsible editor may introduce additional editorial review, require public disclosure, recusal, or decline coverage where financial concentration creates a significant editorial conflict.
7. In-Kind Support, Gifts, and Travel
Material non-cash support may include:
- Travel
- Accommodation
- Equipment
- Data access
- Research assistance
- Event access
- Production services
- Technology credits
- Other significant benefits
Such support is treated as a financial or commercial relationship for disclosure purposes where it is material.
Low-value routine access may be handled proportionately, but it must not become a hidden channel of editorial influence.
Editors and contributors must also follow the requirements contained in Digital Liberty’s Author and Contributor Standards concerning gifts, travel, review products, personal benefits, and related disclosures.
8. Commercial Firewall
Commercial discussions and independent editorial decisions are separated through appropriate roles, records, and policies.
Commercial personnel may discuss advertising formats, audience, scheduling, factual product information, legal requirements, and agreed commercial deliverables.
They may not promise independent editorial coverage or dictate independent conclusions.
Editors retain authority to reject commercial material that does not meet applicable standards.
Sponsors cannot purchase the removal of a legitimate correction, disclosure, or public-interest statement.
Reader data and confidential source information are not shared with advertisers merely because they financially support Digital Liberty.
Paid content is labeled according to the Sponsored Content and Affiliate Disclosure policy.
Paid and affiliate links receive appropriate technical attributes where required.
Digital Liberty does not sell deceptive backlinks, fabricated authorship, false editorial endorsement, or guaranteed search placement.
9. Financial Conflicts of Authors and Editors
Editors and contributors must disclose relevant:
- Employment
- Consulting relationships
- Investments
- Gifts
- Close personal or family relationships
- Litigation
- Political roles
- Advocacy positions
- Commercial interests
- Other material financial or professional interests
Where appropriate, a person with a material conflict may be:
- Recused from the assignment
- Subject to additional supervision
- Paired with independent editorial review
- Excluded from the assignment
A public disclosure should be made where the relationship is relevant to a reader’s assessment of the published work.
10. Annual Transparency Update
Digital Liberty intends to publish or update an annual Editorial Transparency Report covering relevant developments such as:
- Ownership or control changes
- Principal active funding categories
- Material grants or financial support
- Significant sponsored projects
- Major corrections and retractions
- Significant policy changes
- Material revenue concentration that readers should reasonably know about
The first full annual report will cover the period beginning with Digital Liberty’s public-launch baseline.
11. Editorial Independence
Financial support does not create a right to editorial influence.
A funder, sponsor, advertiser, donor, technology company, political organization, government body, or commercial partner cannot require Digital Liberty to publish favorable coverage or suppress legitimate criticism as a condition of financial support.
Where a financial relationship creates a material conflict that cannot reasonably be managed through disclosure, recusal, independent review, or other safeguards, Digital Liberty may decline the relevant assignment or relationship.
Editorial independence applies equally to favorable, unfavorable, and neutral coverage.
12. Questions and Challenges
Questions concerning Digital Liberty’s funding, ownership, financial relationships, or commercial arrangements may be directed to:
advertising@digitalliberty.info
A concern that financial support or commercial influence may have affected independent editorial coverage should be sent to:
complaints@digitalliberty.info
Digital Liberty may review such concerns against its applicable editorial independence, funding transparency, commercial disclosure, conflict-of-interest, and complaints policies.
Last reviewed: 24 August 2026