Privacy Policy (ಗೌಪ್ಯತಾ ನೀತಿ)

Raw News Kannada (accessible at rawnewskannada.in) is a dedicated digital journalism platform committed to upholding the privacy, digital security, and democratic rights of our readers and contributors.

This Privacy Policy details how we collect, store, handle, protect, and process user information in strict accordance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act), the Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act), and the Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011 (SPDI Rules).

೧. Data Fiduciary & Core Principles (ಡೇಟಾ ನಿರ್ವಹಣೆ)

Under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023:

• Data Fiduciary: Raw News Kannada determines the purpose and means of processing personal data on this platform.
• Data Principal: You, the reader, subscriber, or user interacting with our website.
• Purpose Limitation: We process personal data solely for legitimate journalistic dissemination, website security, reader communication, and legal compliance. We never sell, rent, or trade your personal data.

೨. Information We Collect (ನಾವು ಸಂಗ್ರಹಿಸುವ ಮಾಹಿತಿ)

We believe in data minimization and only collect necessary details:

A. Information You Provide Voluntarily:

• News Tips & Contact Forms: If you send us news leads, feedback, or grievance letters, we receive your name, email address, phone number, and submitted message.
• Comments & Reader Opinions: When commenting on articles or engaging with our editorial team, user-submitted names or handles are recorded.
• Newsletter & Audio Subscriptions: Your email address or notification token when opting in to receive daily Kannada headlines or podcast bulletins.

B. Automatically Collected Technical Data:

• Device & Browser Information: Browser type, operating system, device model, screen resolution, and language preference to ensure optimal page rendering.
• IP Address & Network Diagnostics: Logged strictly for cybersecurity, DDoS mitigation, spam defense, and geographic audience analytics within India and Karnataka.
• Usage & Readership Patterns: Articles read, audio playback progress, time spent, and search queries, used exclusively to improve our editorial offerings.

೩. Cookies and Tracking Technologies (ಕುಕೀಸ್ ನೀತಿ)

Our portal uses lightweight, privacy-focused cookies and browser storage:

೪. Lawful Grounds for Processing (ಕಾನೂನುಬದ್ಧ ಆಧಾರ)

Under Section 4 and Section 7 of the DPDP Act 2023, personal data is processed exclusively under the following grounds:

1. Consent: When you voluntarily submit forms, comment, or subscribe to alerts. You may revoke consent at any time.
2. Legitimate Uses & Compliance: Ensuring site security, countering cyber threats under Section 70B of the IT Act, obeying lawful requests from CERT-In or Indian law enforcement agencies.
3. Journalistic Exemption: Truthful reporting, investigative public-interest journalism, and commentary consistent with Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India and Press Council of India standards.

೫. Third-Party Links & Advertisements (ಜಾಹೀರಾತು ಮತ್ತು ಹೊರಗಿನ ಲಿಂಕ್‌ಗಳು)

Our website features promotional posters, sponsor banners, and links to external websites (e.g. government portals, partner services, or client businesses).

When you click on third-party links or promotional posters, you leave Raw News Kannada and become subject to that third party's independent privacy policies. We encourage readers to inspect their terms before sharing sensitive personal details.

೬. Rights of the Data Principal (ನಿಮ್ಮ ಕಾನೂನುಬದ್ಧ ಹಕ್ಕುಗಳು)

Under the DPDP Act 2023, you have the following enforceable rights:

• Right to Access: You can request a summary of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Correction & Erasure: You can ask us to correct inaccurate data or delete your personal details from our active databases.
• Right of Grievance Redressal: You can file a complaint with our Grievance Officer regarding any data handling concern.
• Right to Nominate: You may designate another individual to exercise your privacy rights in the event of death or incapacity.

೭. Protection of Children’s Privacy (ಮಕ್ಕಳ ಡೇಟಾ ಸಂರಕ್ಷಣೆ)

In accordance with Section 9 of the DPDP Act, Raw News Kannada does not knowingly collect, track, or target children under the age of 18 with behavioral profiling or targeted advertising.

೮. Data Security & Retention (ಭದ್ರತಾ ಕ್ರಮಗಳು)

We implement comprehensive technical and organizational safeguards:

• End-to-end 256-bit TLS/SSL encryption for all data in transit.
• Strict access controls, salted password hashing, and regular vulnerability scanning.
• Data retention is limited strictly to operational, journalistic, and statutory requirements mandated under Indian law.

೯. Updates to this Policy (ನೀತಿಯ ನವೀಕರಣ)

We may revise this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect technological enhancements or regulatory amendments issued by the Data Protection Board of India or Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). Any modifications will be posted here with an updated effective date.