1. Core Principle
Readers should be able to distinguish independent editorial work from paid, sponsored, commissioned, affiliate, or otherwise commercially influenced material before relying on it.
Digital Liberty does not accept payment in exchange for undisclosed editorial endorsement, fabricated independence, guaranteed favorable conclusions, hidden commercial links, suppression of legitimate criticism, or avoidance of a legitimate correction.
Commercial activity may support the publication, but it must not mislead readers about who funded content, who participated in its production, who had commercial involvement, or whether Digital Liberty independently reached the conclusions presented.
2. Labels We Use
Sponsored identifies content funded by an advertiser or sponsor and produced by, with, or for Digital Liberty under a commercial arrangement.
Partner Content identifies material created in collaboration with a named commercial, institutional, or other partner. This label does not imply independent journalism.
Advertisement identifies a direct promotional message primarily controlled by the advertiser.
Affiliate Disclosure identifies content containing links, codes, or other mechanisms through which Digital Liberty may receive a commission or other benefit if a reader takes a qualifying action.
Supported by may be used where a funder has supported a project but has not controlled its editorial findings. The nature of the relationship and relevant editorial safeguards should be explained.
Commercial labels should appear prominently at or before the beginning of relevant content, remain reasonably visible on mobile devices, and use clear language.
Labels should not be hidden only in a footer, hover state, color treatment, or vague wording such as “special feature.”
3. Editorial and Commercial Separation
Commercial personnel may discuss format, audience, scheduling, factual product information, legal requirements, and agreed deliverables.
They may not instruct independent editors to reach a predetermined conclusion, remove verified criticism, conceal the identity of a sponsor, suppress a legitimate correction, or present advertising as independent journalism.
Sponsored and partner content may be reviewed for accuracy, substantiation, legality, safety, intellectual property, accessibility, and house style.
A sponsor may review its own factual information and confidential business details where appropriate, but does not receive control over unrelated editorial coverage or Digital Liberty’s future reporting.
Commercial payment does not purchase editorial independence or influence over independent journalism.
4. Substantiation and Safety
Commercial claims should be reasonably supportable.
Testimonials, performance claims, cybersecurity claims, health claims, financial claims, comparative claims, environmental claims, and other potentially consequential assertions may receive heightened review.
A disclaimer does not make a materially false or misleading central claim acceptable.
Digital Liberty may reject or remove commercial material involving:
- Unlawful goods or services
- Fraud or deceptive schemes
- Deceptive investment opportunities
- Unsafe medical claims
- Exploitation
- Hate or extremist advocacy
- Non consensual sexual material
- Trafficking
- Malicious software
- Unlawful surveillance
- Academic cheating
- Impersonation
- Counterfeit goods
- Other material inconsistent with applicable law, safety, or public trust
5. Affiliate Content
Affiliate relationships should be disclosed before or near the first relevant affiliate link and, where appropriate, prominently at the beginning of the article.
The possibility of receiving a commission does not guarantee a positive review, favorable assessment, or inclusion.
Where relevant, affiliate content should explain selection criteria, testing methods, access arrangements, material limitations, and other factors that may affect the reader’s assessment.
Affiliate and paid links should be technically marked using an appropriate sponsored or nofollow relationship where required by applicable search engine guidance, platform requirements, or other relevant rules.
Digital Liberty does not sell undisclosed or unmarked links intended to manipulate search rankings.
6. Sponsored Research, Reports, and Events
Sponsors of research, reports, events, newsletters, editorial series, or special projects should be identified.
The disclosure should explain the nature of the sponsor’s involvement, including whether the sponsor:
- Selected the topic
- Supplied data
- Funded reporting
- Provided access
- Reviewed material
- Suggested sources
- Had any role in the conclusions
- Had no editorial control
A statement of editorial independence should be used only where the actual operational arrangements support that claim.
If a sponsor is itself the subject of coverage, the relationship should be disclosed more prominently.
Where independent editorial judgment cannot reasonably be protected, the material should be treated as commercial content rather than independent journalism.
7. Influencers, Contributors, and Personal Relationships
Authors and contributors must disclose compensation, free products, travel, employment, consulting relationships, investments, family connections, and other material relationships with a subject covered in their work.
A personal disclosure by an author or contributor does not replace Digital Liberty’s responsibility to apply the correct commercial content label.
Where a contributor’s relationship could materially affect the credibility or interpretation of a piece, additional editorial safeguards or public disclosure may be required.
Contributors must not use their Digital Liberty role to obtain undisclosed personal, commercial, political, or financial benefits.
8. Corrections, Removal, and Archives
Sponsored and affiliate material remains subject to appropriate accuracy and factual corrections.
Payment does not prevent correction, annotation, updating, or removal where content becomes unlawful, materially misleading, unsafe, or inconsistent with Digital Liberty’s policies.
Commercial archives should preserve the original commercial label and relevant sponsor identity after a campaign ends where reasonably appropriate, unless applicable law requires otherwise.
A commercial partner may request a factual update or clarification but cannot purchase the removal of a legitimate correction, disclosure, or public interest statement.
9. Data and Privacy
Advertising, affiliate, analytics, and measurement technologies are governed by the Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.
Optional tracking should not be activated before valid consent where consent is legally required.
Commercial partners do not receive unrestricted access to:
- Reader identities
- Confidential source information
- Complaint records
- Private correspondence
- Unpublished editorial plans
- Sensitive editorial research
Commercial relationships must not be used to circumvent applicable privacy or data protection requirements.
10. Political and Issue Advertising
Political, election, referendum, or issue based advertising, if accepted, requires appropriate sponsor verification, jurisdictional review, explicit labeling, and compliance with applicable transparency and advertising requirements.
Such advertising is never presented as independent editorial coverage.
Digital Liberty may decline political or issue advertising where sponsor identity cannot be adequately verified, applicable legal requirements cannot be satisfied, or adequate protection of readers and editorial independence cannot be assured.
Acceptance of political advertising does not imply endorsement of the political position, candidate, party, campaign, organization, or policy promoted.
11. Complaints and Contact
Questions concerning sponsored content, advertising, affiliate relationships, or commercial disclosures may be sent to:
advertising@digitalliberty.info
Accuracy concerns relating to published commercial content should be sent to:
corrections@digitalliberty.info
Concerns that commercial influence may have affected independent editorial journalism should be sent to:
complaints@digitalliberty.info
Digital Liberty may review such concerns against its applicable editorial independence, commercial disclosure, funding transparency, corrections, and contributor standards.
Last reviewed: 24 August 2026.