Can I promote my privacy tool or app here?
No, the No Self-Promotion Or Other Promotional Content rule bans all marketing and advertising, and violating it can result in an immediate ban without warning.
Subreddit guides
r/privacy rules, stats, and what to post
A source-backed Rankhog guide to r/privacy: public rules, community context, posting fit, and startup-promotion risk before you publish.
By Anthony Riera, founder and operator of Rankhog.
Subreddit guides combine public Reddit source URLs, captured rules, visible verification dates, and Rankhog's account-safety workflow.
Current public stats
- Members
- 1,668,077
- Verified
- September 18, 2026
- Category
- Technical product and developer communities
Rules can change, so Rankhog keeps verification dates and the original public Reddit sources visible.
Rule summary
- R1: Stay On Topic: - This is a privacy sub, not a general security sub. - The main focus includes topics such as the collection, storage, use, sharing, and protection of personal information in digital and online contexts. - Privacy is about an individual's control over their data, while security is about the protection of that data. While these two concepts do have some overlap, the emphasis here is privacy. - This sub is not a political battleground. Privacy is a nonpartisan matter. - No memes or similar spam
- R2: Not Tech Support: - This is not a tech support sub. These posts may be removed. - We can't help with general app issues, account problems, or how to regain access to an account if you've forgotten your password or didn't set up recovery. For those kinds of specific product or service issues, please head to their dedicated subreddits or official support channels. - Topics like being hacked, having your accounts hijacked, or device security breaches are primarily security concerns, not privacy. - See Rule 1.
- R3: No Self-Promotion Or Other Promotional Content: - Do not attempt to use this forum to advertise or market products, services, websites, social media accounts, or any other venture. Includes but not limited to: - E-begging, GoFundMe, or crowdfunding initiatives. - Affiliate marketing, referral codes or links. - Promotion of content creators: YouTubers, TikTokers, vloggers, bloggers, podcasters, etc. - Promotion of blog sites or other social media platforms. - Violating this rule can result in an immediate ban without warning.
- R4: Fueling Conspiracy Thinking Isn’t Healthy: - Please don't fuel conspiracy theories or spread Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt (FUD) here. - There's a fine line between being privacy-conscious and veering into excessive paranoia and antisocial behavior. The distinction often lies in the presence of rationality, evidence, and the impact on daily functioning. - This also applies to speculating on questions that can't realistically be answered or proven. Let's keep discussions grounded in verifiable information.
- R5: Use Original, Credible Source And DO NOT Editorialize The Title: - Refrain from editorializing titles; use the original title of the article you are posting. Any thoughts, feelings, or questions belong in the comments section. - Use credible sources - Avoid cherry picking political-leaning content - When news breaks, some blog sites will try hijacking the story and rewording the original article for clicks. Boo! Also, they do a worse job. Use the original source. - Blogs and other rando media portal-type sites will be blacklisted, and you may be banned.
- R6: Topic Already Covered: - Before posting, check that a discussion has not already been started. - Use the search function, [check out our FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/privacy/wiki/index) and/or check new submissions.
- R7: No Closed-Source Or Beta Software: - Promotion of closed source privacy software is not welcome in /r/privacy. It’s not easily verified or audited. Thus, your privacy and security is at greater risk.
- R8: No discussion of alternative mobile/phone OS/ROMs: - Discussion of alternative mobile/phone operating systems **is NOT permitted**. All discussion should happen in their own sub(s). - Content related to alternative phone ROMs is subject to automatic filtering. Any attempts to circumvent these filters by posting leading questions, using coded language, acronyms, indirect references to discuss ROMs, or baiting other members into violating this rule, will be considered an evasion of this rule and **will result in an immediate ban**. No means no!
- R9: No Discussion Of Specific VPN, Proxy, Or Cryptocurrency: - These 3 categories are some of the most highly shilled topics on the internet, so we don't want that constant spam here. - It's fine to discuss these categories in general terms (e.g., "What are the privacy implications of using a VPN?"), but avoid naming, recommending, reviewing, or comparing. - We automatically filter out content that makes mention of specific providers, products, and services. - **Any attempt to circumvent automod filters can result in an immediate ban.**
- R10: No Discussion Of Illegal Or Harmful Activities.: - Do not ask for or provide advice related to activities that are likely illegal or harmful in most jurisdictions, or that promote unlawful disruption. Examples include: - Sharing or soliciting illegal content - Encouraging or providing instructions for harmful acts like doxxing, harassment, hacking, or any other form of malicious behavior. - Discussion of illegal marketplaces or services. - Do not glorify violence by suggesting things like vandalism, destruction, murder, genocide, etc
- R11: No Astroturfing Of Any Kind: - Do not use sockpuppet accounts to manipulate votes or project a narrative. - Privacy is a nonpartisan matter. Discussing privacy-related legislation is fine, but do not attempt to use it as an excuse to push your political agendas or stir up political bickering. - Posting leading questions in an attempt to open the door to shill products and services is not allowed. We are well aware of the constant attempts to push products and services through the use of fear mongering.
- R12: Be Civil And Respectful. Don't Promote Hate: - Focus on the ideas and information being presented, maintaining a respectful and constructive tone even when disagreeing. Remember that the goal is productive discussion. - Do not engage in personal attacks, insults, or ad hominem arguments. - No baiting, trolling, sealioning, or harassment - No hate speech. We have zero tolerance for bigotry, racism, any-phobic, sexist, ableist, etc. - Instead of responding to uncivil comments with your own incivility, please use the report button.
- R13: Requests To Post About Apps Are On Hold, This Includes Open-Source: - Due to the constant flood of new app promotion, we're putting a hold on approving these types of posts for now. - This is not a sub meant for advertising, nor is it an app sub, but it's being overrun with developers from everywhere wanting to spam their apps here. We need to move back towards being about information and not a sub for the promotion, marketing, or shilling of everyone's apps.
- R14: Fundraising/Surveys/Petitions Require Approval Before Posting: - This subreddit is a community for discussion, not a place for academic, commercial, or personal data collection. - Surveys, questionnaires, or forms of covert data-gathering posts are not allowed. This includes research for app developers, school projects, marketing, etc. - In an effort to keep this sub on topic and as spam-free as possible, unapproved posts will be removed. - We'll be upfront and say that most requests will be rejected or ignored.
- R15: Moderator Discretion: - Moderators have the sole discretion to remove any content that is deemed not a fit for this community, even if it doesn't explicitly violate another rule. Stating this isn’t even required on Reddit. - This includes content we deem unhelpful, low-effort, or disruptive. - If you find yourself in frequent disagreement with our moderation decisions or community guidelines, we encourage you to seek a more suitable subreddit, or create your own. Reddit consists of over 100,000 subreddits.
Works well
- Sharing a credible news article about a data breach or privacy legislation using the exact original title, with your own commentary kept strictly to the comments section.
- Starting a text-based discussion about the general privacy implications of a data collection practice, without naming or linking to any specific product or service.
- Answering someone's question about how a particular type of data tracking works, in a factual and grounded way, without steering the conversation toward any tool.
Avoid
- Naming specific VPN providers, proxies, or cryptocurrencies will trigger automatic filters and likely an immediate ban.
- Posting about alternative mobile operating systems or phone ROMs is not permitted and attempts to dodge the filter with coded language will get you banned.
- Posting any closed-source software will be removed under the No Closed-Source Or Beta Software rule.
- Submitting app promotion posts is currently blocked under the Requests To Post About Apps Are On Hold rule, including open-source apps.
- Sharing blog posts instead of original sources can get the site blacklisted and you banned under the Use Original, Credible Source And DO NOT Editorialize The Title rule.
- Editorializing a post title by adding your own thoughts or questions instead of using the original article title violates the rules.
What r/privacy Is For
This community is for discussing privacy in the digital age, which means how personal information is collected, stored, used, shared, and protected. The description makes a point of saying this is not a security subreddit, so the focus is on an individual's control over their data, not on protecting data from hackers. The people who post here care about verifiable information and grounded discussion, not speculation or conspiracy thinking. Privacy is treated as a nonpartisan matter, so political bickering is not welcome.
Rules That Matter Before Posting
The rule that matters most for anyone in marketing is R3, No Self-Promotion Or Other Promotional Content, which states that violating it can result in an immediate ban without warning. R11, No Astroturfing Of Any Kind, is equally critical because it calls out leading questions designed to open the door to shill products, and the moderators say they are well aware of fear mongering tactics used to push products. R7, No Closed-Source Or Beta Software, means you cannot promote any software that is not open source and auditable. R13, Requests To Post About Apps Are On Hold, This Includes Open-Source, is a temporary but active freeze on all app posts, so even a genuinely useful open-source tool cannot be promoted right now. R9, No Discussion Of Specific VPN, Proxy, Or Cryptocurrency, uses automatic filtering to catch mentions of specific providers, and trying to dodge those filters can result in an immediate ban. R5, Use Original, Credible Source And DO NOT Editorialize The Title, matters if you are sharing news, because blog sites that hijack stories will be blacklisted and you may be banned.
What To Post
The honest answer is that this community has essentially closed its doors to marketing of any kind. R3 bans all self-promotion, R13 puts a hold on all app posts including open-source ones, and R11 explicitly calls out leading questions designed to open the door to shill products. If you are a founder or marketer, there is no safe way to directly promote your product here. The only remotely viable path is to participate as a regular community member by sharing credible, original-source news articles about digital privacy topics without editorializing the titles, and without any connection to your product. Even that carries risk if a moderator suspects your account exists to build karma for later promotion. My recommendation is to treat this community as a place to learn what privacy-conscious users care about, not as a place to market to them.
What To Avoid
Do not attempt any form of self-promotion, because R3 says it can result in an immediate ban without warning, and that includes affiliate links, referral codes, crowdfunding, and promoting content creators or blog sites. Do not try to sneak around the automatic filters for VPNs, proxies, or cryptocurrencies, because R9 explicitly says any attempt to circumvent them can result in an immediate ban. Do not post about alternative mobile operating systems or phone ROMs, because R8 says no means no and using coded language or indirect references will be treated as evasion. Do not post closed-source software, because R7 says it is not welcome since it cannot be easily verified or audited. Do not post tech support questions, because R2 says those will be removed, and being hacked or having accounts hijacked is considered a security concern rather than a privacy topic. Do not editorialize titles when sharing news, because R5 requires the original title and says blogs that hijack stories will be blacklisted. Do not fuel conspiracy theories or spread fear, uncertainty, and doubt, because R4 asks for rationality and evidence. Do not post surveys or data-gathering posts without approval, because R14 says unapproved posts will be removed and most requests will be rejected or ignored. Do not try to promote your app, because R13 says all app posts are on hold, including open-source ones.
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Common questions about r/privacy
Can I post about my open-source privacy app?
No, the Requests To Post About Apps Are On Hold rule means all app posts are currently blocked, including open-source ones.
Can I name a specific VPN in a general discussion about VPN privacy?
No, the No Discussion Of Specific VPN, Proxy, Or Cryptocurrency rule forbids naming, recommending, reviewing, or comparing specific providers, and automatic filters will catch it.
Can I discuss alternative phone operating systems like custom ROMs?
No, the No Discussion Of Alternative Mobile/Phone OS/ROMs rule prohibits all such discussion and attempts to circumvent the filter result in an immediate ban.
Can I post a survey or research questionnaire?
You must get moderator approval first, but the rules state most requests will be rejected or ignored.
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