SimplyNews
Privacy-focused news aggregation frontend
SimplyNews provides privacy-respecting access to news content from multiple sources without the tracking, profiling, and algorithmic manipulation common to mainstream news aggregators. The service allows users to stay informed about current events while maintaining control over their information diet and protecting their reading habits from surveillance.
What is SimplyNews?
SimplyNews is a frontend aggregator that collects news from various sources and presents it through a privacy-focused interface. Unlike commercial news aggregators that track every article you read, how long you spend reading, and what topics you ignore, SimplyNews provides access to news content without creating persistent profiles of reader interests and behaviors.
The platform operates by fetching news from multiple sources and repackaging it through a clean interface that removes tracking pixels, advertising identifiers, and personalization cookies. This approach allows readers to access diverse news perspectives without feeding data into recommendation algorithms that might create echo chambers or filter bubbles.
News consumption patterns reveal sensitive information about political views, health interests, financial situations, and personal concerns. Commercial news platforms monetize this information through targeted advertising and data sales. SimplyNews breaks this surveillance model by providing anonymous access to news content, ensuring that your reading habits remain private.
When SimplyNews is Useful
Avoiding Filter Bubbles
When seeking diverse perspectives on current events without algorithmic filtering based on assumed preferences. Journalists, researchers, and informed citizens can use SimplyNews to access a broader range of sources than personalized news feeds typically provide.
Professional Research
Professionals monitoring industry news, competitive intelligence, or market trends can do so without revealing their research interests to news platforms or advertisers. This is particularly valuable in competitive business environments.
Personal Privacy Protection
Individuals concerned about the privacy implications of their news consumption can read about sensitive topics—health issues, legal matters, political movements—without creating a searchable record of their interests.
How News Aggregation Works
SimplyNews instances operate by regularly fetching content from configured news sources and storing it locally or in memory. When you access an instance, you are reading from the instance's copy of the content rather than connecting directly to news websites. This architecture prevents news sites from tracking individual readers through cookies, IP addresses, or browser fingerprinting.
The aggregation process focuses on extracting article content while discarding tracking elements, advertising code, and personalization features. This results in a faster, cleaner reading experience while simultaneously protecting privacy. Different instances may curate different source lists based on language, region, or topical focus.
Unlike personalized news feeds that use machine learning to predict what you want to read, SimplyNews presents content based on recency, source, or category. This transparent organization allows readers to consciously choose what information they consume rather than passively accepting algorithmic recommendations.
Features and availability vary by instance and may change over time. Instance operators independently select news sources, update frequencies, and interface options based on their resources and user community needs.
Recommended Safety Patterns
- Use instances on privacy networks when reading about politically sensitive or controversial topics.
- Be aware that clicking through to original news sources from SimplyNews will expose you to those sites' tracking mechanisms.
- Consider using different instances for different topic areas to minimize potential correlation of reading patterns.
- Verify that the instance is actually serving cached or proxied content rather than redirecting to original sources.
- Be cautious about instances that request account creation or attempt to personalize content delivery.
- Remember that instance operators can theoretically log which articles are accessed, though privacy-focused instances typically do not.
- Check that external resources (images, videos) are properly proxied rather than loaded directly from news sites.
- Be aware of the source selection and potential biases in how different instances curate their news feeds.
Frequently Asked Questions
How current is the news on SimplyNews instances?
Update frequency varies by instance based on their crawling schedules and source configurations. Most instances update major sources every few minutes to an hour. Features and availability vary by instance and may change over time.
Can I choose which news sources to follow?
This depends on the instance implementation. Some instances offer source filtering or category selection, while others present all available content. Customization features that require server-side storage may be limited to preserve privacy.
Are images and videos proxied to protect privacy?
Privacy-focused instances typically proxy media content to prevent tracking, but implementation varies. Some instances may link to external media if proxying would consume excessive bandwidth. Check instance documentation or test with browser developer tools if this is a concern.
How is this different from RSS readers?
RSS readers typically fetch content directly from news sites, exposing your IP address and potentially enabling tracking. SimplyNews centralizes fetching at the instance level, providing a privacy buffer between readers and news sources.
Can news sites tell if their content is being accessed through SimplyNews?
News sites can detect that their content is being fetched by SimplyNews instances, but they cannot identify individual readers using those instances. The privacy benefit comes from aggregating many readers behind shared instance infrastructure.
What if the news sources I want are not available?
Source availability varies by instance. Some instances focus on specific regions or languages, while others aim for broad international coverage. For specialized needs, consider running your own instance with a custom source configuration.
Related Resources
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Last updated: January 15, 2026