These standards apply to articles published or updated under them. Older articles keep their original date and are brought up to these standards when they are updated.
How we cite sources
Each statistic and news claim links to the source it came from, at the point where the claim is made. When a point is disputed or not yet known, the article says so instead of picking a side.
When we update an article
When a law, a product feature or a company policy changes, the article is revised and the updated date at the top changes with it. To report an error, email editor@aispytech.com.
How affiliate links are labeled
Some pages may contain affiliate links, such as links to Amazon. A page with one says so at the top, above the article, and links to the disclosures page. In the page code, affiliate links are marked as sponsored. A commission does not change which free options an article lists first.
How an article is built
An article starts with what the technology does and who uses it, then what it collects and what the law says. The protection section that follows puts free options, such as settings and opt-outs, ahead of any paid product. The tone is level-headed: facts carry the weight, not alarm words.
How we use AI tools
Claude, an AI model made by Anthropic, researches and drafts our articles. A person decides what gets written and what gets published. Each article goes through four steps.
- Mike Tarantino picks the topic and approves the article's plan, the question it answers and what it covers, before any writing starts.
- AI tools search the web, read the sources and write the draft, with a link to the source of each claim.
- A second AI pass checks each claim against the page it links to. A claim that no source confirms comes out of the article.
- Mike Tarantino reviews the finished article and approves it before it is published. The byline carries his name because he answers for what the article says.
AI tools are not used to invent people, quotes, test results or first-hand experience. Mistakes can still get through. To report one, email editor@aispytech.com.
What articles will not do
- Claim hands-on testing the site did not do. A buyer guide explains what to look for and what to avoid.
- Suggest anything illegal, such as covering a license plate, or anything that helps someone spy on another person, such as hiding a recording light.