Ethics & Disclosures

Last updated: April 2026

This page explains how Defend Yourself Online makes money, what rules we follow, and what we will never do. We update it whenever something changes.

The one-paragraph version

We make money primarily through affiliate partnerships — when you click certain links and buy a recommended product, we earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we use ourselves or have tested. We do not accept payment in exchange for positive reviews. We do not run display ads. We do not sell your data, ever. If we get something wrong, we fix it and note the change at the bottom of the affected article.

How we make money, in detail

Affiliate partnerships

This is our primary revenue source. We have affiliate relationships with the following companies as of the date above: Proton (VPN, Mail, Pass, Drive), Mullvad VPN, Bitwarden, 1Password, NordVPN, IVPN, Tuta, Fastmail, Mailbox.org, Incogni, Optery, DeleteMe, Kanary, NextDNS, Privacy.com, and YubiKey (via Amazon Associates).

When a link to one of these companies appears on our site, it may include a tracking parameter that earns us a commission if you subscribe. The price you pay is identical to what you’d pay going direct.

Digital products

We sell occasional one-time-purchase guides, checklists, and workbooks. When you buy one, your payment goes through Stripe; we never see your card details.

Newsletter

The free newsletter is and will remain free. We may launch a paid tier in the future. Paid newsletter content is never gated by affiliate links — once you’ve paid us, we owe you the recommendation, not a click.

What we will never do

These rules are not aspirational. They are the operating policy of the site, and they will not change to accommodate a sponsor.

  • We will not change a verdict for money. If a partner asks us to soften a critique, we will not. If they pull the affiliate program in retaliation, we will tell our readers and link to a non-affiliate alternative.
  • We will not accept “free product in exchange for coverage” arrangements. We pay for the products we review, except where a vendor offers a public free trial that anyone can use.
  • We will not run display ads while we are an independent site at our current scale. If that ever changes, we will warn the audience first and switch to a network that doesn’t track readers.
  • We will not use exit-intent popups, fake countdown timers, fake stock counters, or any of the dark patterns we’d write articles condemning.
  • We will not sell your email address or share it with partners. Newsletter subscribers belong to us, full stop.
  • We will not track you with Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, or any third-party advertising tracker. Our analytics setup is documented on our Privacy Policy page.
  • We will not autoplay video, audio, or any content with sound.
  • We will not gate cornerstone articles behind email signups. If a reader wants to read without giving us anything, that’s their right.

How we choose what to recommend

For any “best of” or comparison article, the order is:

  1. Identify the realistic candidates. This means companies a normal reader could find by searching, not obscure tools that require a Linux background.
  2. Use each one for at least 30 days. No drive-by reviews based on press releases.
  3. Score against a fixed rubric (security model, privacy practices, transparency, ease of use, price).
  4. Disclose conflicts. If a top pick happens to be an affiliate partner, we say so. If the best option for a particular reader is not a partner, we still recommend it and link to it without an affiliate tag.
  5. Re-test annually, and update the article with a visible “last updated” date.

When we get things wrong

We will. When we do, we want to know. Email hello@defendyourselfonline.com with what we got wrong and (if possible) a source. We will:

  • Update the article
  • Add a “Correction” note at the bottom dated the day we fixed it
  • For substantive errors that affected reader decisions, send a correction in the next newsletter

We do not silently rewrite history. The original mistake, and our correction, stay on the page.

If we ever publish a sponsored piece — meaning a vendor paid us a flat fee for a review slot, on the agreement that we’d publish the review regardless of verdict — it will be:

  • Labeled “Sponsored Review” in the article title and at the top of the page
  • Disclosed to include a flat-fee amount in a transparency report at the end of each year
  • Capped at no more than one per month
  • Subject to the same rubric as any other review

If the sponsor doesn’t like the verdict, the review is published anyway. That is the deal up front.

  • We are an Amazon Associate. As such, we earn from qualifying purchases.
  • Affiliate relationships are listed by name above. The list is updated whenever it changes.
  • Defend Yourself Online is an independent publication, not a registered investment, legal, or security advisor. Articles are educational, not professional advice for your specific situation.

Questions

If you’re a reader who’s wondering whether a recommendation is conflicted, or a vendor who wants to understand our review process, write to hello@defendyourselfonline.com.