The short version
Local news should feel like a front porch, not a data auction. The Charlotte Observer’s owner, McClatchy, explains in its own policy that it uses cookies, pixels, unique identifiers, and hashed emails to create audience segments and deliver targeted ads across sites, and that it may disclose information to business partners and other third parties, including in exchange for money or other valuable consideration. Read their words here: McClatchy Privacy Policy. We built Mercury Local and The Charlotte Mercury to do the opposite. No third-party trackers. No cross-site retargeting. Consent-only ads, delivered first party.
What the Observer tells you in its policy
- Targeted ads through Google and other partners using cookies or device IDs across sites and devices. See the McClatchy Privacy Policy.
- Audience modeling that groups readers by behavior and traits for ad delivery. See the McClatchy Privacy Policy.
- Third parties can place tags and collect personal information, including hashed email, IP, and device data, with disclosures that may include money or other valuable consideration. See the McClatchy Privacy Policy.
- Opt-outs supported, including Global Privacy Control and a “Do Not Sell or Share” link. See the McClatchy Privacy Policy.
- To their credit, they accept anonymous tips via SecureDrop at The Charlotte Observer.
The business model difference, in plain language
McClatchy’s Charlotte pitch to advertisers highlights programmatic buying and audience targeting across a network. That is the logic of surveillance ads, not civic trust. Review the offer yourself: Win With McClatchy: Charlotte. We’ve chosen a simpler model: fewer ads, direct relationships, and no third-party trackers. When your revenue depends on tracking, you design stories to harvest attention. When it depends on trust, you design stories to inform.
A quick side-by-side
| Topic | Charlotte Observer | Mercury Local / The Charlotte Mercury |
|---|---|---|
| Ads | Programmatic, cross-site targeting | First-party, consent-only |
| Identifiers | Cookies, pixels, hashed email | No third-party IDs |
| Data flows | Shares with ad networks, partners | No retargeting, no data sale |
| Global Privacy Control | Recognized opt-out | Default respect, minimal collection |
| Tips | SecureDrop available | Secure channels + privacy-first site |
Short phrases only. No fine print hiding the ball.
Why it matters to readers and local businesses
Surveillance ads promise precision. The returns are often squishy. For a broader view of the structural problem, read Tim Hwang’s Subprime Attention Crisis. For the industry’s own anxiety about privacy and incentives, Ken Auletta’s Frenemies is a tour through the ad world’s contradictions. Our takeaway is practical: if you want a durable local news economy, build it on trust, not tracking.
How we run Mercury Local
- No third-party trackers. No ad-network pixels.
- Consent-only advertising. Human-readable terms, first-party delivery.
- Transparency. We publish and live by our rules.
If you read both sites, protect yourself: enable Global Privacy Control in your browser, use the Observer’s “Do Not Sell or Share” link, and clear third-party cookies periodically. Those steps reduce the exhaust you leave behind.
Our election coverage, minus the surveillance
Our 2025 project is built for citizens, not exchanges. The Charlotte Mercury’s coverage breaks down process, turnout, and the money trail, without retargeting you later. Start here: Poll Dance 2025; Join the Dance.
About the Author
I am fueled by coffee strong enough to double as varnish, and I answer notes fastest on Bluesky at @pc51.bsky.social. If you like this piece, our newsroom journals what we’re building on the Mercury Local blog. Say hello, suggest a story, or tell me why I’m wrong. I’ll bring the mug.
Footnotes & Fine Print
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© 2025 Mercury Local / Mercury Local
This article, “Charlotte’s Privacy Gap: Why Mercury Local Refuses Surveillance Ads,” by Peter Cellino is licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0.
“Charlotte’s Privacy Gap: Why Mercury Local Refuses Surveillance Ads”
by Peter Cellino, *Mercury Local (CC BY-ND 4.0)