Platformer is an independent media company supported by its readers. As such, I strive to maintain the highest standard of professional ethics. Here is our code of conduct, divided into two sections. The first applies to everyone who works at Platformer; the latter contains additional information about me.

Platformer ethics

• When we make a mistake, we strive to correct the error promptly and disclose the correction to readers.
• We maintain the anonymity of our sources when asked to do so and when they are sharing information we believe to be in the public interest.
• We do not, and would never, accept payment to write about any company on Platformer. Nor will we accept paid consulting assignments or speaking opportunities at the companies we cover.
• We may run an ad in the free weekly edition of Platformer. Companies we cover are not eligible to advertise, and advertisers have no editorial control what we write about. For more on this subject, see our advertising policy.
• Platformer is hosted on Ghost Pro. When we moved to Ghost, we took advantage of its free migration services. We do not receive any financial subsidies from Ghost.
• Platformer was formerly hosted on Substack, a platform that we write about from time to time. Substack provided me with design resources and a healthcare subsidy when I started the publication.
• We pay for all of our own travel and expenses while covering company events.
• We do not accept gifts of more than minimal value from companies. We do sometimes keep the odd branded coffee cup, pair of socks, or T-shirt.
• We may sometimes acquire small amounts of cryptocurrency to better understand and report on companies and trends. We will disclose this if we do so. We will not acquire cryptocurrency for the purposes of trading, staking, or speculation. If, despite our best efforts, our crypto holdings temporarily rise above $1,000 in value, we will disclose this.
• We sometimes accept free trials of paid software to better understand the industry we cover. The same holds true for hardware, although rarely. If we find ourselves using any review software or hardware on a regular basis, we will buy the device for ourselves.

Casey Newton’s ethics

• I do not hold any individual stocks in any companies, including but not limited to the ones I write about. I do have a 401(k) and other retirement accounts that invest in a wide range of stocks, but I have no control over their contents.
• I do own some stock options in Vox Media, where I worked at full time from 2013 to 2020 and was a contributing editor until 2023. If the company is sold or goes public, I would benefit financially. I don’t plan to disclose this relationship every time I link to a story from a Vox outlet, since I do that on most days. But whenever I write about Vox or The Verge as institutions, I’ll disclose that in the piece.
• I co-host Hard Fork, a podcast produced by the New York Times. I don’t plan to disclose this relationship every time I link to a Times story, since I do that on most days. But whenever I write about the Times as an institution, I’ll disclose that in the piece.