The Princeton Journal is built to surface information that matters in Princeton. That only works if people can safely speak up, raise concerns, and share what they know. This page explains how we handle identity protection, anonymous participation, and the limits of what we can promise.
What We Do To Protect People
TPJ is designed so readers can create one account, post publicly or anonymously, and keep their public-facing identity separate from the account record behind the scenes.
When anonymous posting is enabled, the public sees only the anonymous handle attached to the account. We do not publicly display the account email address or other direct identifying account details on the site.
We limit internal access to account-linked information to the people who need it for editorial review, moderation, security, platform maintenance, or legal compliance.
What Anonymous Posting Means
Anonymous posting on TPJ means your public post can appear without your real name. It does not mean the post is detached from your account internally.
Anonymous posting helps protect public-facing identity while preserving accountability inside the system. This lets us reduce spam, abuse, impersonation, and bad-faith posting while still giving people space to speak carefully.
Important Limits
We cannot promise absolute anonymity, absolute confidentiality, absolute digital security, or immunity from every legal demand. No publisher, website, or app can honestly promise that.
We may preserve, review, or disclose information when reasonably necessary to comply with law, respond to valid legal process, investigate abuse or threats, protect people from serious harm, secure the platform, or enforce our policies.
Public community posts and their attachments are public by design. If a post, image, or file is published in the community, readers may view, share, quote, screenshot, or archive it.
Use Extra Care With Files And Photos
Images, PDFs, screenshots, and documents can contain metadata or identifying details. That can include names, locations, timestamps, device information, document properties, or details visible in the file itself.
If anonymity is important, do not assume a file is safe just because you post anonymously. Review files before uploading and remove anything that could identify you if you do not want it exposed.
Public Community Posts Are Not The Same As Confidential Tips
The TPJ community is a public discussion space. It is useful for local conversation, questions, reactions, and surfacing issues, but it is not the safest place for highly sensitive source material.
If you are sharing sensitive information, unpublished documents, employment-related concerns, or information that could put you at risk, use direct contact with TPJ instead of posting publicly in the forum. You can start through the contact page, but you should still use care with what you send electronically.
Legal And Editorial Limits
Applicable law may provide protections for journalists or unpublished source material in some situations, but those protections are fact-specific, jurisdiction-specific, and not unlimited. Nothing on this page is legal advice or a promise that every communication will be privileged.
Sending information to TPJ does not create an attorney-client relationship, a fiduciary relationship, or a guaranteed confidential relationship.
Best Practices If You Need More Protection
- Do not post highly sensitive information publicly in the community.
- Remove identifying details from screenshots, photos, and documents before uploading.
- Avoid using work-managed devices or work-managed accounts if that increases risk.
- Share only what you are comfortable sending electronically.
- Review our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service before submitting anything.
Contact
Questions about source safety, anonymous posting, or platform privacy can be directed to theprincetonjournal@gmail.com.