Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy describes how VoiceHunt ("we," "our," or "us") collects, uses, shares, and protects your personal information when you use our website and services. This policy applies to all users of VoiceHunt, including visitors, registered users, and contributors.

By using our services, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our services.

Last Updated: January 2025
Version: 2.0

We collect the following types of personal information:

Personal Information:
- Name, email address, and contact details (when you register, subscribe, or contact us)
- Profile information (avatar, bio, social media links) if you create an account
- Authentication data (OAuth provider information, account identifiers)

Usage Data:
- Pages visited, time spent on pages, click patterns
- Device information (browser type, operating system, device identifiers)
- IP address and approximate geographic location
- Referral sources and search terms

Cookies & Tracking Technologies:
- Essential cookies for site functionality
- Analytics cookies (with your consent)
- Preference cookies for user settings

User-Generated Content:
- Comments, feedback, and submissions
- Content you post or share on our platform

Your information is used for the following purposes:

Service Delivery:
- Provide and maintain our services
- Authenticate users and manage accounts
- Process comments and user interactions
- Send transactional emails (confirmations, notifications)

Legal Basis (GDPR Article 6):
- Consent: For analytics, marketing communications, and non-essential cookies
- Contract Performance: To fulfill our service obligations
- Legitimate Interests: For security, fraud prevention, and service improvement
- Legal Obligation: To comply with applicable laws and regulations

Improvement & Analytics:
- Analyze website traffic and user behavior (with consent)
- Improve content, features, and user experience
- Conduct research and development

Communication:
- Respond to inquiries and support requests
- Send newsletters and updates (with consent)
- Notify about policy changes or important updates

We do not sell your personal data. We share information only in the following circumstances:

Service Providers:
- Cloud Hosting (AWS): Website hosting and infrastructure
- Authentication Services: OAuth providers (Google, GitHub) for user authentication
- Email Services: For transactional and marketing emails
- Analytics Providers: Google Analytics or similar (only with consent)
- Content Delivery Networks (CDN): For fast content delivery

Legal Requirements:
- When required by law, court order, or government regulation
- To protect our rights, property, or safety
- To investigate fraud or security issues

Business Transfers:
- In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets (with notice to users)

With Your Consent:
- When you explicitly authorize us to share your information

All third-party service providers are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only for specified purposes.

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data:

Technical Measures:
- Encryption in transit (HTTPS/TLS) for all data transmission
- Encryption at rest for sensitive data stored in databases
- Secure authentication using OAuth 2.0 and JWT tokens
- Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
- Access controls and authentication requirements
- Firewall and intrusion detection systems

Organizational Measures:
- Limited access to personal data (principle of least privilege)
- Employee training on data protection
- Incident response procedures
- Regular security reviews and updates

Data Breach Response:
- Immediate investigation of suspected breaches
- Notification to affected users within 72 hours (where required by law)
- Cooperation with relevant authorities
- Remediation measures to prevent future incidents

While we strive to protect your data, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure.

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary:

Account Data:
- Active accounts: Retained while account is active
- Inactive accounts: Deleted after 3 years of inactivity
- Deleted accounts: Data removed within 30 days of deletion request

Usage & Analytics Data:
- Aggregated analytics: Retained for up to 2 years
- Individual usage data: Anonymized after 12 months

Comments & User Content:
- Published content: Retained as long as it remains on the platform
- Deleted content: Removed from active systems within 30 days
- Backup copies: Retained for up to 90 days for recovery purposes

Legal & Compliance:
- Financial records: Retained as required by law (typically 7 years)
- Legal disputes: Retained until resolution plus applicable statute of limitations

After retention periods expire, data is securely deleted or anonymized.

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

GDPR Rights (EU Users):
- Right to Access: Request a copy of your personal data
- Right to Rectification: Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
- Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten")
- Right to Restrict Processing: Limit how we use your data
- Right to Data Portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
- Right to Object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests
- Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent for data processing

CCPA Rights (California Users):
- Right to Know: Request disclosure of data collected, used, and shared
- Right to Delete: Request deletion of personal information
- Right to Opt-Out: Opt-out of sale of personal information (we do not sell data)
- Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate for exercising your rights

How to Exercise Your Rights:
- Submit a request via our contact form or email: privacy@voicehunt.news
- We will respond within 30 days (or as required by applicable law)
- Verification may be required to protect your privacy

You can request a copy of your personal data in a portable format:

What You Can Request:
- Account information and profile data
- Comments and user-generated content
- Usage data and activity logs
- Communication history

Request Process:
1. Submit a request via email to privacy@voicehunt.news
2. We will verify your identity
3. Data will be provided in JSON or CSV format within 30 days
4. You can request updates or corrections if needed

Data Format:
- Machine-readable format (JSON, CSV)
- Includes all data categories we hold about you
- Provided securely via encrypted email or secure download link

Your data may be transferred and processed outside your country of residence:

Transfer Locations:
- Our servers are located in [specify region, e.g., US, EU, India]
- Third-party services may process data in various locations
- Cloud infrastructure (AWS) may store data in multiple regions

Safeguards:
- Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) for EU data transfers
- Adequacy decisions where applicable
- Data Processing Agreements with all service providers
- Compliance with applicable data protection laws

Your Rights:
- You have the right to know where your data is processed
- You can request information about transfer safeguards
- You can object to transfers if you have concerns

We ensure that all international transfers comply with applicable data protection laws, including GDPR and local regulations.

VoiceHunt is not intended for children under 13 years of age:

Age Restrictions:
- Our services are designed for users 13 years and older
- We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13
- If we discover we have collected data from a child under 13, we will delete it immediately

Parental Rights:
- Parents can review, request deletion, or refuse further collection of their child's information
- Contact us at privacy@voicehunt.news for child data requests

Age Verification:
- We rely on OAuth providers for age verification
- Users must be 13+ to create accounts
- We may request age verification in certain circumstances

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately.

In the event of a data breach that may affect your personal information:

Our Response:
- Immediate investigation and containment of the breach
- Assessment of the scope and impact
- Notification to relevant authorities within 72 hours (where required)
- Notification to affected users without undue delay

What You'll Be Told:
- Nature of the breach and data involved
- Likely consequences of the breach
- Measures we're taking to address the breach
- Steps you can take to protect yourself
- Contact information for further inquiries

Prevention:
- Regular security audits and penetration testing
- Employee training on data security
- Monitoring and detection systems
- Incident response procedures

We are committed to transparency and will notify you promptly if your data is compromised.

We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience:

Cookie Categories:
- Essential Cookies: Required for site functionality (no consent needed)
- Analytics Cookies: Help us understand site usage (require consent)
- Functional Cookies: Remember your preferences (require consent)
- Marketing Cookies: For advertising (require consent, not currently used)

Managing Cookies:
- Use our cookie consent banner to manage preferences
- Browser settings allow you to block or delete cookies
- Note: Blocking essential cookies may affect site functionality

Third-Party Cookies:
- Analytics providers may set their own cookies (with consent)
- OAuth providers use cookies for authentication
- See our Cookie Policy for detailed information

For more information, visit our Cookie Policy page.

Our website contains links to third-party websites and uses third-party services:

Third-Party Services We Use:
- Authentication: Google OAuth, GitHub OAuth
- Hosting: Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Analytics: Google Analytics (with consent)
- Email: [Email service provider]
- Content Delivery: CloudFront CDN

External Links:
- Our website may contain links to external websites
- We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party sites
- We encourage you to review their privacy policies

Third-Party Data Processing:
- All service providers are contractually bound to protect your data
- They process data only for specified purposes
- They comply with applicable data protection laws

We do not control third-party websites or services and are not responsible for their privacy practices.

You have control over your personal information:

Account Settings:
- Update your profile information at any time
- Change your email preferences
- Manage notification settings
- Delete your account (removes most data within 30 days)

Cookie Preferences:
- Manage cookie consent via our cookie banner
- Adjust preferences on our Cookie Policy page
- Use browser settings to block cookies

Communication Preferences:
- Unsubscribe from marketing emails (link in every email)
- Opt-out of non-essential communications
- Choose which notifications you receive

Data Requests:
- Request access to your data
- Request deletion of your data
- Request data export
- Object to certain processing activities

Contact us at privacy@voicehunt.news to exercise any of these rights.

For privacy-related inquiries, data requests, or concerns:

Data Protection Contact:
- Email: privacy@voicehunt.news
- General Inquiries: admin@voicehunt.news
- Phone: +91 900 345 7395

Mailing Address:
VoiceHunt Media
1st Floor, Tech Street, OMR
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Response Times:
- General inquiries: 24-48 hours
- Data requests: Within 30 days (as required by law)
- Urgent matters: As soon as possible

Complaints:
- If you have concerns about our data practices, please contact us first
- You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority
- EU users: Contact your national Data Protection Authority
- California users: File a complaint with the California Attorney General

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time:

Notification of Changes:
- Significant changes will be communicated via email or website notice
- Updated policy will be posted on this page with a new "Last Updated" date
- Continued use of our services after changes constitutes acceptance

Version History:
- Version 2.0 (January 2025): Comprehensive update with GDPR, CCPA, and enhanced disclosures
- Version 1.0 (Initial): Basic privacy policy

Reviewing Updates:
- We encourage you to review this policy periodically
- Archived versions available upon request
- Contact us if you have questions about changes

Your Rights:
- You can withdraw consent if you disagree with changes
- You can request deletion of your data
- You can stop using our services at any time