Privacy Policy
Important: This policy is a draft template for Sozhaa News. It is not legal advice. Have qualified counsel review and adapt it before you rely on it — especially because the form collects Aadhaar numbers, which are sensitive under Indian law.
1. Who we are
This website is operated by [Legal entity name] (“we”, “us”, “Sozhaa News”). For privacy questions, contact [Contact email].
2. What we collect
When you submit a request to join our WhatsApp community, we may collect:
- First and last name
- Country code and phone number
- Aadhaar number (12 digits)
- District and taluk (or equivalent local administrative area)
- City and pincode
- Technical data such as IP address and browser type (via our server and hosting logs, if applicable)
3. Why we use your data
We use this information to:
- Review and verify membership requests for our private WhatsApp group
- Contact you if needed regarding your request
- Maintain records of approvals or rejections as operated by our administrators
The legal basis may include consent (where you tick the agreement on the form) and legitimate interests in operating a controlled community — confirm with your lawyer for your specific situation.
4. Aadhaar and sensitive data
Aadhaar is sensitive personal information. We use it only for the verification and onboarding workflow described on the request form and in this policy. We do not use it for unrelated marketing. You should minimise collection and retention in line with UIDAI / DPDP Act requirements and update this section after legal review.
5. Where data is stored
Data is stored in our application database (currently SQLite on the server hosting this site). Access is limited to authorised administrators who review requests and manage WhatsApp membership.
6. Retention
We retain request records for as long as needed to operate the community and meet legal or operational obligations, unless a shorter period is required by law. You may request deletion where applicable law allows — contact [Contact email].
7. Sharing
We do not sell your personal data. We may share data with service providers (e.g. hosting) who process it on our instructions, or when required by law.
8. WhatsApp
If you are added to a WhatsApp group, your phone number and profile name may be visible to other members in line with WhatsApp’s own terms and privacy settings. We do not control WhatsApp’s platform.
9. Your rights
Depending on applicable law (including India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, where relevant), you may have rights to access, correct, or delete personal data, or to withdraw consent. Contact [Contact email] to make a request. We may need to verify your identity.
10. Security
We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect data. No method of transmission over the Internet is completely secure.
11. Changes
We may update this policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date will change when we do. Material changes should be communicated as required by law.