Privacy Policy
Best In Warangal ("we", "us", "the website") operates bestinwarangal.com, a local news and information platform for Warangal, Hanamkonda and Kazipet in Telangana, India. This Privacy Policy explains what personal data we handle, why we handle it, the rights you have, and how to reach us. It is written to align with India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 ("DPDP Act"). By using this website you agree to the practices described here.
1. Who is responsible for your data
Best In Warangal acts as the data fiduciary for personal data collected through this website — that is, we decide the purposes and means of processing. If you have questions about this policy or want to exercise any right described below, contact us at hello@bestinwarangal.com or through our grievance redressal page.
2. Data we collect and why
We collect only what the site needs to function. The categories are:
- Contact and advertising enquiries. Our advertising/contact form asks for your name and phone number (required), email address and a description of your enquiry (optional). These responses are stored in a Google Form we operate, and we use them only to respond to your enquiry.
- Emails you send us. If you write to hello@bestinwarangal.com (newsroom and tips) or ads@bestinwarangal.com (advertising), we receive your message and email address and use them only to handle your request.
- Newsletter signup. The newsletter boxes on the site are display-only at present: entering an email address there does not send it anywhere or store it. We will update this policy before connecting them to any mailing service, and we will only send updates with your consent.
- Usage and device data. Our analytics tools record standard technical information — pages viewed, approximate location, browser and device type, and referring links — in aggregate form, to understand which content readers find useful and to keep the site secure. See section 6.
- Site administration. Accounts used to administer the website are authenticated through Supabase Authentication. We do not ask readers to create accounts.
- Public material used for journalism. Some of our reporting is researched from publicly available material — public posts, reels and videos on platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and X, and publicly published news articles and web pages. The principles governing that work are set out in section 11 below.
3. How we use your information
- To operate, maintain and improve the website and its content.
- To respond to your messages, story tips and advertising enquiries.
- To understand, in aggregate, which content readers find useful.
- To keep the site secure, prevent abuse and debug technical issues.
- To comply with legal obligations, including takedown and grievance processes described in our disclaimer and grievance redressal page.
We do not sell your personal data, and we do not use it for purposes unrelated to the site without your consent.
4. Consent and how to withdraw it
Where we rely on your consent — for example, when you submit the contact form or (in future) subscribe to updates — you give it freely by submitting the form, and you may withdraw it at any time by contacting us. Withdrawal does not affect processing that happened before it, and does not apply to processing we are legally required to carry out.
5. Cookies and similar technologies
Our own code does not set tracking cookies. Cookies and similar storage on this site come from the third-party services we use — Google Analytics (audience measurement), Google Forms (our contact/advertising form), Google Reader Revenue Manager (newsletter and survey prompts), and the platforms behind embedded content. Details and controls are in our Cookie Policy. You can block or clear cookies through your browser settings at any time; the site will keep working, but analytics and embedded content may behave differently.
6. Analytics
We use Google Analytics 4 and Vercel Analytics to measure aggregate readership (for example, which stories are read most). These tools process pseudonymous usage data on our behalf under their own privacy terms; we do not combine it with the contact details you submit through our forms.
7. Third parties we share data with
We share personal data only with the service providers that run the site, and only as needed:
- Supabase — database and authentication for site administration.
- Vercel — website hosting and analytics.
- Google — Google Forms (contact/advertising enquiries), Google Analytics (audience measurement), and Google Reader Revenue Manager (newsletter/survey prompts).
Links from our site to external websites are outside our control; we are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites.
8. International transfers
Our providers may process data on servers outside India (for example, in the United States or the European Union). Where data leaves India, we rely on the safeguards our providers offer and on the transfer rules under the DPDP Act as they come into force.
9. How long we keep data
We retain personal data only as long as needed for the purposes described here: contact and advertising enquiries are kept while your request is being handled and for a reasonable period afterwards for our records; analytics data is kept in aggregate form. When data is no longer needed, we delete it or render it non-identifiable.
10. Security and breach response
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data — including encrypted connections, authenticated admin access, and access limited to what each role needs. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security. If a breach affecting your personal data occurs, we will notify you and the Data Protection Board of India as required by law.
11. Your rights
Under the DPDP Act, you have the right to:
- Access — ask what personal data of yours we hold and how we process it.
- Correction and erasure — ask us to correct inaccurate data or delete data you no longer want us to hold.
- Grievance redressal — raise any concern about our data practices; see our grievance redressal page for the process and timelines.
- Nomination — nominate another person to exercise your rights in the event of your death or incapacity.
To exercise any of these rights, write to hello@bestinwarangal.comwith the subject line "Data rights request". We will respond within a reasonable time and in any case as required by law.
12. Children
The website is intended for a general audience and is not directed at children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us personal data, contact us and we will delete it.
13. Public-platform material used in our journalism
Best In Warangal is, in part, a curation and journalism platform. Some of our coverage is researched from publicly available material, including public posts, reels and videos on platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and X, and from publicly published news articles and web pages. Our handling of such material follows these principles:
- Public information only. We work only with content that is already publicly accessible. We do not access private accounts, private messages, or any material behind a login or privacy setting.
- Informational and editorial purpose. Public material is used to research, report, summarise and provide local context and commentary — a normal part of journalism and public-interest reporting.
- Transformation, not republication. We do not present third-party content as our own. Our articles are original write-ups that summarise, analyse and add local context. Where a specific source is central to a story, we aim to credit and link to it.
- No personal data harvesting. We do not build profiles of private individuals, scrape personal contact details, or collect biometric or identifying data from social platforms.
- Removal requests. If you are the owner of content we have referenced and you want it credited differently or removed, contact us and we will review the request promptly. See our grievance redressal page.
14. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top reflects the latest revision. Material changes will be reflected here; continued use of the website after a change means you accept the updated policy.
15. Contact
For privacy questions, data-rights requests, or content credit and removal requests, write to hello@bestinwarangal.com or use our contact page. For formal complaints, see our grievance redressal page, which lists our Grievance Officer and the response timelines required under Indian law.