SimplyNews Instances

The instance shapes the news diet

SimplyNews does not only protect against tracking. It also changes who chooses the source mix. Each instance decides which feeds, regions, languages, and topics it pulls in, so two instances can feel quite different even when the software underneath is similar.

That is useful if you want news without publisher trackers or feed algorithms. It also means you should look at the source list before treating an instance as neutral. Curation is still curation, even when it is quieter than a social feed.

Watch the click-through moment

Reading cached or proxied articles through an instance keeps the original publisher at a distance. Clicking through to the publisher changes that. At that point the site can set cookies, load trackers, fingerprint the browser, or connect the visit with other behaviour.

For sensitive topics, stay inside the proxied view where possible and check whether images, video, and embeds are also proxied. Media is often where privacy promises get thin.

Checks worth doing

• Look for source freshness before trusting time-sensitive stories.
• Check whether images and video come through the instance or the original publisher.
• Use different instances for sharply different research topics if correlation matters.
• Avoid instances that require accounts just to read aggregated public news.