---
title: Stay True to Your Principles
description: If you manage a digital rights group, it's important to make sure you aren't subjecting your contributors to the privacy-invasive tech you're fighting against.
icon: fontawesome/solid/star
cover: activism/banner-toolbox-tip-principles.webp
---

If you manage a digital rights group, meetup, chat room, event, or organization even, make sure you aren't subjecting your members and contributors to the very privacy-invasive tech you're fighting against. Sadly, it's not rare to see organizations and communities that aren't following their own privacy advice for internal practices.

Here's why it's important to **stay true to your principles** and lead by example:

## Be the groups and organizations you want to see in the world

As a leader in your digital rights community, it's critical to set an example and apply your privacy advice internally as well.

Sometimes, it's easy to just use the most popular tool and forget privacy best practices when we're in a rush. But the importance of maintaining integrity by applying _internally_ the principles we promote externally shouldn't be downplayed.

Staying true to your privacy values internally has many benefits:

- [x] It significantly increases your credibility while telling others what tools and practices they should adopt when you are following the same advice yourself.

- [x] It supports the privacy-enhancing tools and projects you would like to see prosper.

- [x] It demonstrates that it is possible to manage a group or organization using privacy-focused services, practices, and partners. It makes you set a positive example.

- [x] It builds your reputation as someone who knows what they are talking about.

- [x] It gives you valuable insight to understand better your own recommendations, and their potential downsides. You will be better equipped to answer questions about how to deal with the disadvantages of some privacy-preserving tools and practices if you have adopted them yourself internally.

- [x] It makes your group or organization more attractive to recruit new qualified members or employees. Most privacy experts and advocates are in this field because they deeply care about privacy rights. By adopting good practices internally, you will show them that you are trustworthy, know what you're talking about, and will respect their own data if they work with you.

- [x] It normalizes the use of privacy-preserving technologies and privacy-respectful practices with your members, contributors, and employees, as well as with any external observers.

## How to stay true to your principles

There are many things you can do to stay true to your principles, both in your own personal life and in your privacy advocacy work.

Here are a few examples of practices and good habits you might want to adopt:

- [x] Make sure to [inform yourself about the privacy laws](tip-know-your-privacy-laws.md) you have to comply with in your work, and go above and beyond to respect them carefully.

- [x] Create a [Code of Ethics](https://www.wikihow.com/Develop-a-Code-of-Ethics) for your group or organization, and ensure it includes a special emphasis on enforcing your privacy values.

- [x] Build protocols to minimize data _collection_ and maximize data _protection_ when collecting data internally (e.g. from employees), and externally (e.g. from subscribers). Verify that your protocols are thoroughly followed by everyone in your group or organization.

- [x] Educate the members and contributors of your group or team. Make sure that everyone understands well your values, your Code of Ethics, and applies your established protocols.

- [x] Pick your vendors carefully. [Research](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/09/03/red-and-green-privacy-flags/) each third-party software you use, to select the most privacy-preserving option available.

- [x] Whenever relevant, request [Service-Level Agreements](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service-level_agreement) (SLA) from your service providers, to ensure you have a legally binding contract they have to comply with to respect your own terms of service.

- [x] Reject any offers for partnership or sponsorship from third-parties that have not been properly vetted for being trustworthy and sharing your privacy values, or who might only have profit and advertising in mind.

- [x] Keep your promises. As a privacy advocate, group, or organization, your reputation is the most valuable thing you have. ==If people cannot trust your integrity, they will not trust any of your advice either.== If you promise to never accept sponsorship from certain Big Tech companies, then make sure you are ready to hold this promise. If you promise to never accept venture-capital money for your privacy-preserving app, then keep your word and be ready to reject even attractive offers.

## Integrity is essential to build our movement

Staying true to our principles can be challenging at time. Nonetheless, when we are talking about privacy rights, we are also talking a lot about _trust_. Without integrity, there cannot be any trust.

Maintaining integrity with leading by example and keeping our promises is therefore essential to our fight for privacy rights. It's also fundamental to build our community, and to grow our movement with alliances.

Become a respected privacy-ally others in the community are eager to work with, by staying true to your principles, always.

## More resources

- [The complete guide to writing a Code of Ethics (_WikiHow_)](https://www.wikihow.com/Develop-a-Code-of-Ethics)

- [Privacy washing is a dirty business (_Privacy Guides_)](https://www.privacyguides.org/articles/2025/08/20/privacy-washing-is-a-dirty-business/)

- [Policy and procedure templates for non-profit organizations (_The Commons Social Change Library_)](https://commonslibrary.org/policy-bank-policy-and-procedure-templates-for-not-for-profit-organisations/)
