Uprouted – Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 2026

At Uprouted (accessible via uprouted.com.au, “we”, “us”, “our”), your privacy is fundamental to the trust we build with you. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information in compliance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

1. Journalism Exemption & Source Protection

Uprouted is an independent public interest journalism platform.

• The Journalism Exemption: Please note that the collection and handling of personal information solely for the purposes of journalism is exempt from certain provisions of the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), provided we adhere to a recognized media code of ethics. Uprouted voluntarily commits to the Australian Press Council (APC) Privacy Principles.

• Protecting Our Sources: If you submit an investigative tip, lead, or document through our website, protecting your identity is our highest ethical priority. Your details will be treated with absolute confidentiality and are guarded by statutory journalist shield laws in Australia. We will never disclose your identity without your explicit consent unless compelled by a court of law.

2. Information We Collect

We only collect personal information that is reasonably necessary to run our publication, deliver content, and interact with our community. This includes:

• Subscription Data: When you sign up for our fortnightly newsletter or updates, we collect your email address and, optionally, your name.

• Reader Tips & Submissions: Information you choose to provide via our website contact or tip forms, which may include your story details, contact info, and supporting documents.

• Usage Data (Analytics): Non-identifiable data collected automatically when you visit our site, such as your IP address, browser type, pages visited, and the time spent on the platform. This helps us understand what stories resonate with our audience.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Deliver our independent journalism and newsletters straight to your inbox.

• Research, verify, and report on stories based on tips you submit.

• Moderate our comment and community reply sections to maintain a safe space.

• Improve website functionality, fix technical bugs, and optimize your user experience.

4. Disclosure of Personal Information

We do not, and will never, sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties.

We only share your information with trusted third-party infrastructure providers who assist us in delivering our platform, including Substack Inc. (our publishing platform) and Stripe (our secure payment processor). These providers are contractually bound to protect your data and use it only for the services we specify.

We will only disclose personal information outside of these bounds if required by Australian law, or if necessary to prevent a serious threat to life, health, or public safety.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Uprouted uses cookies to keep our website running smoothly and to track basic, anonymous analytics. You can choose to disable cookies in your browser settings, though doing so may cause some parts of the website to function incorrectly.

6. Data Security and Storage

We take data security seriously. Your subscriber data is securely stored and managed via the Substack platform, which utilizes industry-standard encryption and security protocols to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, misuse, modification, or disclosure.

• Any payment details for paid subscriptions are processed directly and securely by Stripe; Uprouted never sees or stores your credit card information.

• Any information submitted via our secure tip forms is restricted strictly to editorial personnel.

• We destroy or permanently de-identify personal information when it is no longer required for its collected purpose.

7. Accessing and Correcting Your Information

You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you, or to ask us to correct it if it is inaccurate or out of date. If you are a newsletter subscriber, you can instantly update your details or opt-out entirely at any time by clicking the “Unsubscribe” link at the bottom of any email.

For formal access requests, please contact us via uprouted.com.au.

8. Making a Complaint

If you have any concerns about how your privacy has been handled by Uprouted, please get in touch with us directly through our website. We take all complaints seriously and will respond to you swiftly to resolve the matter.

If you are unsatisfied with our response, you can lodge a formal complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au.

Contact: For all privacy-related inquiries, please contact the Editor/Publisher via the channels provided at uprouted.com.au.