Summary: PrivacyMatters2u is switching from Constant Contact to privacy-first platforms. Here's how you can stop email tracking, block hidden pixels, and protect your inbox from data surveillance. Practical, non-technical tips to reclaim your email privacy. It's a journey we'll always be taking because privacymatters2u.

Email Newsletters Track When and Where You Open and What You Click

When I first started sending out the PrivacyMatters2u newsletter, Constant Contact felt like a simple and reliable choice. I simply wanted to reach each person in an engaging way. As my understanding of digital privacy grew, however, so did my unease.

Turns out, like most email platforms, Constant Contact collects way more data than you’d expect.

What Really Happens When You Open Most Newsletters

A lot happens behind the scenes even with the most innocent seeming email. Whether it’s Constant Contact, MailChimp, HubSpot, or many others, most email marketing platforms are:

• Using hidden images within an email called “tracking pixels” to record the exact time you open a message, your location and the device you are using
• Logging every link you click
• Creating behavioral profiles of your habits including what you read, when you read it, and how often you engage

Finding this out and seeing behind the curtain made me squirm. Yes, the analytics could be helpful, but I found them super creepy, too. 

Where We’re Headed (And Why It’s Better for You)

Because privacy is at the heart of what we do, we’re moving our newsletter to platforms that give us more control, allow us to limit or disable tracking, and put people over profiling. Here's what we'll be using from here on out:

~ Substack: a newsletter publishing platform that doubles as a public blog site designed to help reach new readers and build a community. It will be our “front porch” where people discover, subscribe and get inspired.

~ ConnectKit: our private delivery of free resources without extra tracking. It’s our “home base” to provide information, courses and products in a safe and direct way that protects your privacy.

These changes won’t affect how often people hear from us or what we share; but, it will change how much of our subscribers data gets scooped up behind their back.

Privacy matters to you - and it will always matter to us as well. 

How You Can Protect Your Privacy in Email

Privacy isn’t about perfection; it’s about making choices that reduce unnecessary exposure. For us, that means switching to tools that align better with our values. For you, it can be as simple as taking the following steps: 

• Use an email app that blocks tracking pixels (like Proton Mail, Thunderbird, or Apple Mail with “Protect Mail Activity” turned on).
• Be mindful with links—every click is tracked unless your provider blocks it.
• Prefer plain-text newsletters when possible. They tend to contain fewer trackers than designed HTML emails.
• Unsubscribe from newsletters you no longer read. Every unused subscription is one more source of data collection.

Together, these small moves have a huge impact.

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Disclaimer: The above is solely intended for informational purposes and in no way constitutes legal advice or specific recommendations.