Hello everyone,
I would like to suggest a few privacy-related improvements that could benefit both the community and the forum operators. Privacy and anonymity are important values for many users, especially in online communities where people may prefer not to expose personal information unnecessarily. Small adjustments could help make the forum more accessible, transparent, and aligned with privacy-respecting principles.
Of course, some of the things mentioned below may already exist in some form behind the scenes. If that is the case, this suggestion mainly aims to make them more transparent or accessible to users.
1. Allow VPN and Tor Connections for All Users
At the moment, VPN and Tor connections appear to be restricted to users who have purchased a premium rank. While I understand that this may have been implemented to reduce spam or abuse, I believe the ability to protect one’s privacy should not be treated as a paid feature.
Many users rely on VPNs or Tor for legitimate reasons, including:
Especially for an underground or privacy-minded forum, allowing privacy tools should arguably be a baseline right for all users, not something locked behind a paid tier.
Blocking these connections can unintentionally exclude people who simply want to participate safely and anonymously.
Potential abuse can still be handled through other mechanisms such as:
These approaches focus on actual abusive behavior rather than the network someone connects from, which is generally a more balanced solution.
Allowing VPN and Tor access for all users would make the forum more accessible while reinforcing a strong stance in favor of user privacy.
2. Publish a Clear and Public Privacy Policy
Another improvement would be providing a clear and publicly visible privacy policy for the forum (if one does not already exist or is not easily accessible).
Transparency about how user data is handled builds trust and helps users understand what information is collected and why. This does not need to be complicated—just straightforward and honest.
A forum privacy policy could include things such as:
Data Collection
Logging Policy
Tracking and Analytics
Account Data
Third-Party Services
Even simple statements like:
can go a long way in reassuring users.
3. Easier Deletion of User Data
Another improvement I would personally love to see would be an easy and transparent way to delete user-owned data.
Ideally, there could be a simple option embedded somewhere in the account settings that allows users to:
Giving users a straightforward way to remove their data aligns with modern privacy expectations and shows respect for user autonomy.
If such a system already exists, making it more visible or easier to access could still be beneficial.
4. Consider More Privacy-Friendly Defaults
A few additional improvements that could further strengthen privacy on the forum (if not already implemented) include:
These practices are becoming increasingly common across privacy-respecting platforms.
Why This Matters
For users, these changes would mean:
For the forum itself, it would:
Communities that emphasize independence and user freedom tend to benefit from privacy-respecting infrastructure and policies.
Thank you for taking the time to read this suggestion. I believe changes like these would help make the forum more privacy-friendly, transparent, and welcoming to all users.
I would like to suggest a few privacy-related improvements that could benefit both the community and the forum operators. Privacy and anonymity are important values for many users, especially in online communities where people may prefer not to expose personal information unnecessarily. Small adjustments could help make the forum more accessible, transparent, and aligned with privacy-respecting principles.
Of course, some of the things mentioned below may already exist in some form behind the scenes. If that is the case, this suggestion mainly aims to make them more transparent or accessible to users.
1. Allow VPN and Tor Connections for All Users
At the moment, VPN and Tor connections appear to be restricted to users who have purchased a premium rank. While I understand that this may have been implemented to reduce spam or abuse, I believe the ability to protect one’s privacy should not be treated as a paid feature.
Many users rely on VPNs or Tor for legitimate reasons, including:
- Protecting their identity and personal privacy
- Avoiding tracking and profiling
- Accessing the forum from restrictive networks (school, work, public Wi-Fi)
- Bypassing regional censorship
- Maintaining anonymity when participating in discussions
Especially for an underground or privacy-minded forum, allowing privacy tools should arguably be a baseline right for all users, not something locked behind a paid tier.
Blocking these connections can unintentionally exclude people who simply want to participate safely and anonymously.
Potential abuse can still be handled through other mechanisms such as:
- Rate limiting
- Account registration requirements
- Temporary posting limits for new users
- CAPTCHA or other human verification
- Behavior-based moderation
These approaches focus on actual abusive behavior rather than the network someone connects from, which is generally a more balanced solution.
Allowing VPN and Tor access for all users would make the forum more accessible while reinforcing a strong stance in favor of user privacy.
2. Publish a Clear and Public Privacy Policy
Another improvement would be providing a clear and publicly visible privacy policy for the forum (if one does not already exist or is not easily accessible).
Transparency about how user data is handled builds trust and helps users understand what information is collected and why. This does not need to be complicated—just straightforward and honest.
A forum privacy policy could include things such as:
Data Collection
- What information is collected when visiting or registering (IP address, cookies, account details, etc.)
Logging Policy
- Whether connection logs are stored
- If logs exist, how long they are retained
- Example: “Connection logs are automatically deleted after X days”
Tracking and Analytics
- Whether analytics or tracking tools are used
Account Data
- What information is stored with accounts
- Whether users can request deletion of their account and associated data
Third-Party Services
- Any external services used (e.g., Cloudflare or other infrastructure providers)
Even simple statements like:
- “We do not keep long-term connection logs.”
- “Logs are automatically deleted after X days.”
- “We do not sell or share user data.”
can go a long way in reassuring users.
3. Easier Deletion of User Data
Another improvement I would personally love to see would be an easy and transparent way to delete user-owned data.
Ideally, there could be a simple option embedded somewhere in the account settings that allows users to:
- Delete their account
- Request deletion of associated personal data
- Understand what data remains (for example posts that may stay for forum continuity)
Giving users a straightforward way to remove their data aligns with modern privacy expectations and shows respect for user autonomy.
If such a system already exists, making it more visible or easier to access could still be beneficial.
4. Consider More Privacy-Friendly Defaults
A few additional improvements that could further strengthen privacy on the forum (if not already implemented) include:
- Minimizing unnecessary tracking scripts
- Keeping logs only for the minimum time necessary for security purposes
- Ensuring all connections use HTTPS
- Being transparent about any third-party infrastructure used
These practices are becoming increasingly common across privacy-respecting platforms.
Why This Matters
For users, these changes would mean:
- Better protection of personal privacy
- The ability to participate anonymously if they choose
- Greater trust in how their data is handled
For the forum itself, it would:
- Strengthen credibility and trust within the community
- Encourage broader participation
- Align the platform with privacy-focused values rather than centralized services that monitor or profile users
Communities that emphasize independence and user freedom tend to benefit from privacy-respecting infrastructure and policies.
Thank you for taking the time to read this suggestion. I believe changes like these would help make the forum more privacy-friendly, transparent, and welcoming to all users.
