Thesocialtalks.com Privacy Policy

Last Updated: June 14, 2025

Your (‘You’, ‘Your’, ‘User’) privacy is important to us. We at Thesocialtalks.com (‘We’, ‘Us’, ‘Our’, ‘Site’) are fully committed to protecting your privacy under all reasonable circumstances. This Privacy Policy outlines what personal data we collect from you on Thesocialtalks.com, how and why we use it, and your rights in relation to that data. We comply with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act), the Information Technology Act, 2000, and other applicable laws.

This Privacy Policy should be construed in conjunction with our Terms and Conditions available at www.thesocialtalks.com/terms-and-conditions. It forms an integral part of our Terms and Conditions agreement, and any undefined terms in this Privacy Policy shall be construed within the meaning provided in that agreement. Please note that our Site may contain certain external links which may take you to third-party websites that are not covered by our Site. You are advised to go through the privacy policy of those sites before accessing their services. Thesocialtalks.com explicitly disclaims any liability for the data collection, privacy practices, or content of external websites or services not directly controlled by us.

By accessing the services provided by this platform, you explicitly agree to the usage and collection of your personal data for the purpose of accessing our services in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

Under all reasonable circumstances, Thesocialtalks, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to modify or update this Privacy Policy at any time, with or without prior notice to you. We are under no obligation to individually inform you of any such changes beyond posting the updated Policy on our Site with a revised "Last Updated" date. We encourage you to review the Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how your data is handled. Your continuous usage of the platform indicates your acceptance of this Privacy Policy. Please read them carefully before agreeing:

1. Information We Collect

1.1. Account Information:

When you register, we collect identifiers such as your name, email address, and other contact details you provide. We may also collect demographic information (age, location) and a profile picture if you choose to provide them.

1.2. Content You Provide:

Any comments, articles, or other content you post or upload is collected as personal data about you. This includes:

1.2.1. Debate Request Submissions:

Email
Phone Number
Country and City
Full Address
Government ID (submitted as a document or image, securely stored)
Topic Title
Debate Topic Category
Participant Details
Purpose of Request

1.2.2. Report Request Submissions:

Email
Phone Number
Country and City
Full Address
Government ID (submitted as a document or image, securely stored)
Topic Title
Topic Details
Report Type
Purpose of Request

1.2.3. Newsletter Subscription Information:

Email address provided during subscription. We also collect information about your interactions (e.g., opens, clicks, shares).

1.2.4. Automatically Collected Information:

Usage and Device Data: We automatically collect data about your use of Thesocialtalks.com and the device you use. This includes your IP address, device type, browser type, operating system, and which pages you view or app features you use. This helps us improve and secure our service.
Cookies and Tracking: We use cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies to remember you and your preferences. For example, we use cookies to keep you logged in, to remember language or theme settings, and to collect analytics data (via services like Google Analytics). We or our partners also use cookies for advertising personalization. These cookies may track non-sensitive Browse history on our site and other sites. You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings, but this may affect how Thesocialtalks.com functions.

2. How We Collect Your Information

We collect information in the following ways:

When You Register or Update Your Profile: Through forms where you provide personal details and preferences.
When You Submit a Request: For on-demand debate or report services, through dedicated submission forms.
When You Use Our Site: Automatically, through cookies, server logs, and tracking technologies.
When You Subscribe to Newsletters: Via opt-in forms.
When You Contact Us: Through communication channels like email, forms, or support chat.

3. How We Use Your Information

a) To Provide and Improve Services: We use your data to operate Thesocialtalks.com, including to manage your account, post your comments or content, and ensure the site is secure. We also use analytics data to improve our news offerings and user experience.
b) Personalization and Communications: We use your information to personalize content (e.g., recommending topics) and to send you newsletters or updates if you opt-in. We may also use your email to respond to inquiries or send you account notifications.
c) Advertising: With your consent, we may use your data for interest-based advertising. For example, we might use cookies or ad identifiers to show you ads for products or articles you’re likely to care about. We may share aggregated (non-identifying) data with advertisers, but we do not sell your personal data.
d) Legal Compliance and Safety: We use and retain information as required by law. We also use data to detect and prevent fraud, abuse, or other misuse of our services, and may disclose information if required by a court order or government request.

4. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We may share your information with the following categories of third parties, always ensuring appropriate safeguards are in place:

i. Service Providers: We share information with third-party vendors who assist us (e.g., hosting providers, analytics services, email services). These providers are contractually obligated to protect your data and only use it to serve Thesocialtalks.com.
ii. Advertising Partners: We work with advertising partners like Ezoic, which may use cookies and collect data to personalize ads. Please refer to Ezoic's privacy policy for more information on their practices.
iii. Third-Party Platforms: If you interact with embedded content (like videos from social media) or click on third-party ads, those external services may collect data on their own. Also, if you opt to show some information publicly on your profile (e.g., bio, social media links), this data shall be shared with other users. We have no control over their practices; please review their privacy policies. Thesocialtalks.com explicitly disclaims any liability for the data collection, privacy practices, or content of these third-party platforms or advertisements.
iv. Legal Requirements: We will share personal data if required by law enforcement or to comply with legal obligations. We may also share data to enforce our Terms or protect our rights.

5. Confidentiality

a) Our Responsibility: Any content or sensitive information or personal data, including unpublished manuscripts, sensitive news reports, whistleblower submissions, or other proprietary or private information shared by you, shall be treated with the utmost confidentiality. We shall not disclose such information to third parties unless you explicitly consent or such disclosure is strictly required by law (e.g., pursuant to a court order, subpoena, or regulatory requirement under the Information Technology Act, 2000, or DPDP Act, 2023).
b) User Responsibility: You agree not to disclose or misuse any sensitive or confidential information by accessing our platform without our prior permission. Thesocialtalks.com disclaims any liability for unauthorized disclosure or misuse of information by users in violation of this Policy or our Terms and Conditions.
c) Exceptions: We may disclose confidential information if necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of Thesocialtalks.com, its users, or the public, or to comply with legal obligations. Any disclosure will be limited to the extent required.
d) Safeguards: We protect confidential information using the security measures outlined in Section 6 (Data Security), including encryption, access controls, and regular audits.

6. Data Security

We implement reasonable security measures to protect your personal information, as required by the IT Act and rules. However, no system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute protection against unauthorized access. Thesocialtalks.com disclaims any liability for data breaches or unauthorized access that occur despite our implementation of reasonable and appropriate security measures. Therefore, we advise you to take care of your account credentials.

Our data protection measures include, but are not limited to:

a) Encryption of data in transit using secure protocols such as HTTPS.
b) Encryption at rest and secure data storage on Amazon Web Services (AWS) infrastructure.
c) Strict access controls, ensuring that only authorized personnel can access personal information.
d) Secure storage and handling of passwords, following industry best practices.
e) Secure handling and storage of government-issued IDs with encryption and limited access via AWS.
f) Routine security audits and risk assessments to identify and address potential vulnerabilities.

7. Data Retention

We retain personal data only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected or to resolve disputes. Once you delete your account or request the deletion of your data, we will promptly and securely delete your personal information. Exceptions apply only where specific legal obligations require us to retain certain records for a defined period (e.g., for tax or audit purposes as mandated by Indian law).

Please note that if you comment or post content on our platform, that content may remain publicly visible even after account deletion, but we will cease using it for new purposes directly associated with your identified profile.

8. Your Rights under DPDP Act

Consent and choice: We collect and process your personal data only with your free, informed, specific, and unambiguous consent or as otherwise permitted by law. We will provide clear notice describing what data we collect and why.
Access and correction: You can ask us what personal data we hold about you and request corrections if it’s inaccurate.
Data portability: You may request a copy of your data in a common format (e.g., transferring your profile information elsewhere) as provided by the DPDP Act.
Withdraw consent: You can withdraw any consent you gave us at any time, as easily as you gave it. For example, you can opt out of email newsletters or targeted ads. Upon withdrawal, we will stop processing your data for that purpose.
Erasure (“Right to be forgotten”): You may request deletion of your personal data, and we will comply promptly, unless there is a specific legal requirement to retain it (for instance, we might need to keep some data to comply with tax or regulatory obligations).
Complaints: If you believe we have mishandled your personal data, you may contact our Data Protection Officer (details below) or file a complaint with the Data Protection Board once it is established.

9. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Thesocialtalks.com uses cookies and similar technologies as described above. Cookies that store personal data (like login cookies) are secured and only used for legitimate purposes (site functionality, security, analytics, advertising).

Types of Cookies We Use:

A. Essential Cookies: Required for the basic operation of the website (e.g., login functionality).
B. Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how users interact with the site, including traffic sources and usage patterns.
C. Advertising Cookies: Enable personalized ads based on your preferences and Browse behavior.

You can manage cookie preferences through your browser or device settings. Please note disabling cookies may limit some features. You can also manage Ezoic's cookie preferences through their consent management platform.
We may use Google Analytics or similar services to gather anonymous usage statistics. These tools use cookies to measure site traffic and user behavior. We do not allow them to collect personally identifying information without consent.

10. International Data Transfers

Thesocialtalks.com is based in India, but we may use servers or services located in other countries (e.g., cloud hosting, analytics). When your data is transferred outside India, we will ensure it is protected by appropriate safeguards (such as standard contractual clauses or equivalent measures).

11. Children’s Privacy

Thesocialtalks.com is a general audience platform and not directed specifically at children. If you are under 18, please use Thesocialtalks.com only with your parent or guardian’s permission. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without parental consent. If we learn that a child has provided us personal data without consent, we will delete it.

12. Changes to Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in the law or our practices. When we do so, we will post the revised policy on Thesocialtalks.com with the effective date. Major changes will be notified (e.g., via email or site banner). We will also comply with IT rules that require notifying users of policy changes at least annually. Your continued use of Thesocialtalks.com after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of those changes.

13. Governing Law

This platform operates under Indian jurisdiction, specifically under the following laws:

Information Technology Act, 2000 (for digital content regulation).
Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (for data privacy and user rights).

Any disputes arising under or in connection with this Privacy Policy shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts in New Delhi, India.

14. Contact and Grievance Officer

If you have any questions regarding your privacy or personal data, please contact us at [email protected] . For other concerns such as content issues or user behavior, reach out to [email protected] . We are committed to addressing all concerns promptly, as outlined in our Terms & Conditions.

By using Thesocialtalks.com and the services provided therein, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and this Privacy Policy.