Contributor Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 26, 2026

This Contributor Privacy Policy explains how The Doe, Inc. (“The Doe,” “we,” “us” or “our”) handles personal information when you pitch a story, write for us, or are interviewed for a story we publish. It adds to our main Privacy Policy, which covers everyone who uses www.thedoe.com.

Our commitment to your anonymity

The Doe publishes stories anonymously so that people can tell the truth about their lives without putting themselves at risk. We will not publish your legal name, contact details or verification documents. Only the staff who need to know who you are to review, verify, edit, publish or pay for your story can see your identity. We do not share your identity with readers, advertisers or other contributors.

If we receive a subpoena, court order or other legal demand for information that could identify you, we will disclose only what the law requires, and unless the law prohibits it, we will try to tell you first so that you have a chance to seek protection.

1. Information we collect

Pitch and contact details. The name or alias you give us, your email address and the details our pitch form or editors ask for, such as your country, age range, profession and pronouns.
Your story. Your pitch, drafts, edits, the published story and any photos, audio or other material you send us. If we record an interview, the recording and its transcript, with your permission.
Background details for readers. Details you choose to have published with your story, such as your generation, occupation or political leaning.
Sensitive information you choose to share. Your story may include information about your health, mental health, sex life or sexual orientation, gender identity, race or ethnicity, religion, political views, immigration status or involvement with the justice system. We use it only with your explicit consent and only for the purposes in this policy.
Verification information. To confirm that a story is authentic, we may ask for material such as a link to a social media profile, proof of your occupation, a copy of an identity document with details you do not need to show covered, proof of residence, or the contact details of someone who can confirm your account, with that person’s permission. Please send only what we ask for.
Payment and tax details. If we agree to pay you, the details needed to pay you and meet tax reporting rules.
Messages. Your communications with our editors.
Information from others. If we reach out to you about a story, we may have received your contact details from someone who knows you or from public sources.

2. How we use it

To review your pitch and tell you whether we will move forward.
To verify your identity and the authenticity of your story.
To edit and publish your story, including the background details you approve.
To keep our selection of stories balanced and inclusive.
To pay you when we have agreed to.
To tell you about new calls for stories, if you agree. You can opt out at any time.
To protect our contributors, readers and staff, to defend our publishing decisions and to comply with the law.

3. Who we share it with

Readers. Only your story, your alias and the background details you approve.
Narratives Inc. Our nonprofit partner, which handles payments and may provide shared services for writers and readers of The Doe and Narratives, under the same confidentiality commitments.
Service providers. Companies that help us operate, such as email, document signing, transcription, payment, accounting and hosting providers. They may use your information only to provide their services to us.
People who help verify a story. Only with your permission.
Professional advisors. Such as our lawyers and accountants, under a duty of confidentiality.
Legal demands. Only as described in our commitment above.
Business transfers. If The Doe is involved in a merger, acquisition or sale of assets, we will require the recipient to protect contributor information under commitments at least as protective as this policy.

We do not sell contributor information, and we do not use it for advertising.

4. How long we keep it

We keep your pitch and correspondence for as long as needed to consider and publish your story and to keep a record of our work with you. We keep verification material only as long as we need it to stand behind a published story, to handle legal claims or to meet legal requirements, and then we delete it. Payment and tax records are kept for as long as tax law requires.

5. Security

We limit access to contributor identities and verification material to the staff who need it, and we use technical and organizational safeguards designed to protect this information. No system is completely secure. If you are worried about your safety, tell your editor and we will discuss safer ways to work with you.

6. Your choices and rights

You can ask to access, correct or delete your personal information, withdraw consent for us to use sensitive information, or stop receiving calls for stories. Withdrawing consent or deleting your information does not automatically remove a published story. If you want a story changed or removed, tell us and we will consider your request in good faith, especially where your safety is at stake. Residents of some U.S. states, the European Union, the United Kingdom and Switzerland have the additional rights described in our Privacy Policy, and the legal bases we rely on are your consent, our agreement with you, our legitimate interest in publishing verified stories and our legal obligations.

7. Age requirement

You must be at least 18 years old to pitch or submit a story to The Doe.

8. Changes to this policy

We will post any changes here with a new “Last updated” date, and we will tell contributors we are working with about significant changes.

9. Contact us

Questions about this policy, or requests about your information, can go to admin@thedoe.com or to The Doe, Inc., Attn: Privacy, 5318 E. 2nd Street, PMB 42540, Long Beach, California 90803.

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