THE DEEP FILES
Investigations • Documents • Evidence
Last Updated: 23 September 2026
1. Introduction
THE DEEP FILES (“we”, “us”, or “our”) respects the privacy of its readers, sources, contributors, correspondents, and website visitors.
This Privacy Policy explains how personal information may be collected, used, stored, disclosed, and protected when individuals visit thedeepfiles.com, communicate with us, submit information or materials, or otherwise interact with THE DEEP FILES.
THE DEEP FILES operates from the Netherlands and may serve readers and receive communications from individuals worldwide.
Where applicable, our processing of personal data is governed by the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other applicable privacy and electronic communications laws.
2. Information We May Collect
The information we process depends on how an individual interacts with THE DEEP FILES.
Information You Provide Directly
We may receive information including:
- Name;
- Email address;
- Contact information;
- Messages and correspondence;
- Documents;
- Photographs;
- Audio or video files;
- Evidence or supporting materials;
- Information submitted in connection with investigations;
- Responses to requests for comment or right of reply;
- Newsletter or subscription information;
- Information submitted through website forms; and
- Other information voluntarily provided to us.
Please avoid submitting unnecessary personal or sensitive information.
3. Sources and Confidential Communications
THE DEEP FILES may receive information from individuals who contact us regarding potential investigations, documents, evidence, public-interest matters, or other editorial subjects.
Information submitted to us may contain personal information concerning the sender or third parties.
We recognize that source confidentiality may be particularly important in investigative journalism.
Where appropriate, we may take reasonable measures to protect the identity and confidentiality of journalistic sources.
However, ordinary email and website communications cannot be guaranteed to provide absolute confidentiality or security.
Individuals intending to provide highly sensitive information should consider the security implications before transmitting such material through ordinary communication channels.
4. Information Collected Automatically
When you visit our website, certain technical information may be collected automatically by our website infrastructure or service providers.
This may include:
- IP address;
- Browser type;
- Device type;
- Operating system;
- Date and time of access;
- Pages visited;
- Referral information;
- General interaction data;
- Security logs; and
- Cookie or similar technology information.
The extent of this collection depends on the technologies and services active on the website.
Further information is available in our Cookie Policy.
5. How We Use Personal Information
We may process personal information for purposes including:
- Operating and securing THE DEEP FILES;
- Publishing and managing editorial content;
- Conducting journalistic research and investigations;
- Reviewing information, documents, evidence, and submissions;
- Verifying information;
- Communicating with sources;
- Contacting individuals or organizations for comment;
- Managing rights of reply;
- Responding to correspondence;
- Maintaining records relevant to our editorial work;
- Preventing abuse, fraud, spam, or security threats;
- Improving website functionality and performance;
- Managing subscriptions or newsletters where offered;
- Meeting legal or regulatory obligations;
- Establishing, exercising, or defending legal claims; and
- Protecting our legitimate editorial, organizational, and security interests.
We may also process information for other compatible purposes permitted by applicable law.
6. Journalistic and Editorial Processing
THE DEEP FILES conducts investigative and editorial activities.
Certain processing of personal data may therefore take place for journalistic purposes, including research, verification, documentation, investigation, publication, public-interest reporting, and preservation of supporting records.
European and national data-protection laws may provide specific exemptions, derogations, or balancing rules for processing carried out for journalistic purposes and freedom of expression and information.
Where such provisions apply, certain data-protection rights or obligations may operate differently from ordinary commercial processing.
THE DEEP FILES does not interpret these provisions as providing unlimited authority to process personal information. Editorial processing remains subject to applicable law and relevant journalistic considerations.
7. Legal Bases for Processing
Where the GDPR applies, our legal basis will depend on the particular processing activity.
We may rely on:
Consent — where an individual has voluntarily agreed to particular processing.
Legitimate interests — where processing is reasonably necessary for operating, securing, administering, or protecting THE DEEP FILES or pursuing legitimate editorial or organizational interests, provided applicable rights and interests are appropriately considered.
Legal obligations — where processing is necessary to comply with applicable law.
Contractual necessity — where processing is necessary to perform or take steps related to an agreement.
Establishment, exercise, or defence of legal claims — where applicable.
Journalistic purposes and freedom of expression and information — where applicable laws provide relevant protections, exemptions, or derogations.
The applicable legal basis depends on the circumstances and the nature of the information involved.
8. Special Categories of Personal Data
Investigative materials or communications submitted to THE DEEP FILES may occasionally contain sensitive personal information.
Under the GDPR, certain information receives additional protection, including information concerning health, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, racial or ethnic origin, trade-union membership, genetic or biometric information, or a person’s sex life or sexual orientation.
We do not request such information unless it is relevant and appropriate to the circumstances.
Where such information is processed, we will consider the additional requirements imposed by applicable law, including relevant provisions concerning journalism and freedom of expression where applicable.
9. Information About Third Parties
Individuals submitting documents or evidence should consider whether those materials contain personal information about other people.
Submission of information to THE DEEP FILES does not automatically mean that the information will be published.
Editorial decisions concerning investigation, verification, relevance, public interest, and publication are made separately.
10. Publication of Personal Information
As an investigative and editorial publication, THE DEEP FILES may publish names, professional information, statements, documents, photographs, public records, corporate information, or other information where there is an appropriate editorial and legal basis for doing so.
Publication decisions may consider factors including:
- Accuracy;
- Relevance;
- Public interest;
- Newsworthiness;
- Privacy interests;
- Source reliability;
- Evidentiary support;
- Fairness;
- Applicable law; and
- The opportunity for relevant parties to respond where appropriate.
The existence of personal information in our possession does not itself determine whether that information will be published.
11. Right of Reply and Corrections
THE DEEP FILES aims to distinguish documented facts from analysis, allegations, claims, and opinion.
Where appropriate, individuals and organizations materially involved in an investigation may be contacted before publication and offered an opportunity to respond.
Responses may be incorporated into, linked from, or otherwise reflected in our reporting where editorially appropriate.
Requests concerning factual corrections may be sent to our contact address.
Submitting a correction, objection, or response does not automatically require alteration or removal of editorial content. Requests will be considered according to the circumstances, supporting evidence, applicable law, and relevant journalistic principles.
12. Sharing of Personal Information
We may disclose personal information where reasonably necessary to:
- Website hosting and infrastructure providers;
- Security providers;
- Email or communications providers;
- Professional advisers;
- Legal counsel;
- Technical service providers;
- Analytics providers, where enabled;
- Contractors supporting legitimate operations; or
- Governmental, judicial, or regulatory authorities where disclosure is legally required.
Service providers should receive only information reasonably necessary for their function and may be subject to contractual or legal confidentiality and data-protection obligations.
We do not sell personal information merely because an individual contacts THE DEEP FILES.
13. Advertising and Third-Party Services
THE DEEP FILES may use advertising, analytics, embedded media, social-media, or other third-party services.
These providers may process information under their own privacy policies and, depending on the service, may act as processors, joint controllers, or independent controllers.
Where legally required, non-essential tracking technologies will be activated only after appropriate consent.
More information concerning cookies and similar technologies is available in our Cookie Policy.
14. Artificial Intelligence
THE DEEP FILES may use artificial intelligence tools to assist with tasks such as language improvement, organization, research support, translation, transcription, summarization, or editorial workflow.
AI-generated or AI-assisted material is not treated as automatically accurate.
Editorial responsibility, verification, sourcing, and publication decisions remain subject to human review.
We seek to avoid providing confidential source information or unnecessary personal data to external AI services unless appropriate safeguards and a lawful basis are available.
Where appropriate, THE DEEP FILES may disclose the use of AI assistance in published material.
15. International Data Transfers
Some technology or service providers may process information outside the Netherlands or the European Economic Area.
Where the GDPR requires safeguards for an international transfer of personal data, appropriate transfer mechanisms will be used where applicable.
These may include adequacy decisions, Standard Contractual Clauses, or other legally recognized safeguards.
16. Data Retention
Personal information will generally be retained only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, subject to applicable legal, security, evidentiary, archival, and journalistic considerations.
Certain investigative records, correspondence, evidence, source material, or publication records may need to be retained for extended periods where justified by legitimate editorial, historical, evidentiary, or legal purposes.
Retention periods may therefore differ depending on the nature of the information.
17. Data Security
THE DEEP FILES seeks to use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, loss, or destruction.
However, no internet transmission, email system, website, or electronic storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
Users should therefore exercise appropriate care when sending confidential or highly sensitive materials electronically.
18. Your Data Protection Rights
Where the GDPR or other applicable privacy laws provide such rights, individuals may have rights concerning their personal data, potentially including:
- Access;
- Rectification;
- Erasure;
- Restriction of processing;
- Objection to processing;
- Data portability;
- Withdrawal of consent; and
- The right to lodge a complaint with a competent supervisory authority.
These rights are not absolute.
In particular, requests relating to information processed for journalistic purposes may be subject to exemptions, restrictions, or balancing requirements designed to protect freedom of expression, information, journalism, legal claims, source protection, or other legally recognized interests.
We may request information reasonably necessary to verify the identity of a person making a privacy request.
19. Children
THE DEEP FILES is primarily an investigative and news publication and is not designed specifically for children.
We do not knowingly seek to collect unnecessary personal information from children through ordinary website use.
If information concerning minors becomes relevant to an investigation or publication, additional privacy, safety, public-interest, and legal considerations may apply.
20. External Links
Our reporting may contain links to external websites, documents, databases, social-media platforms, government resources, corporate websites, or other third-party materials.
THE DEEP FILES does not control the privacy practices of independent third-party websites.
Visitors should review the applicable privacy policies of those services.
21. Cookies
THE DEEP FILES may use cookies and similar technologies for essential website functionality and, where enabled, analytics, functionality, advertising, or third-party services.
Non-essential cookies will be subject to consent where required by applicable law.
Please see our Cookie Policy for further information.
22. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes to THE DEEP FILES, our technologies, service providers, editorial activities, or applicable legal requirements.
The date shown at the beginning of this Privacy Policy indicates the latest revision.
Material changes may be communicated through the website where appropriate.
23. Contact
Questions, privacy requests, correction requests, or other inquiries concerning this Privacy Policy may be sent to:
THE DEEP FILES
The Hague, Netherlands
Email: contact@thedeepfiles.com
Website: thedeepfiles.com
Individuals in the European Economic Area may also have the right to lodge a complaint with their competent data-protection supervisory authority.
For THE DEEP FILES’ establishment in the Netherlands, the relevant supervisory authority is the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (Dutch Data Protection Authority).
© 2026 THE DEEP FILES. All rights reserved.