Privacy Policy

At Ferox Times, data privacy is treated as a matter of editorial principle, not just a legal checkbox. A news platform that earns reader trust must also handle personal information responsibly. This Privacy Policy sets out clearly what data we collect, how we use it, and the rights you have under applicable law — including the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.

1. Information We Collect

• Account Data: Name, email address, and encrypted password when you register. Contributor profiles may also include a biography, photograph, and links to published work — this information is displayed publicly on your author page.
• Newsletter Data: Your email address and subscription preferences if you sign up for our newsletters.
• Usage & Technical Data: IP address, browser type, device, pages visited, and session duration — collected automatically via analytics tools when you visit our site.
• Push Notification Tokens: A unique device token stored when you opt in to breaking-news browser alerts. This token does not personally identify you.
• Contact Correspondence: Records of messages you send through our contact form or via email, retained to allow us to respond.
• Cookies & Local Storage: Used for login sessions, saved bookmarks, and audience analytics. Full details are in our Cookie Policy.

We do not collect sensitive data such as race, religion, health, or political views as a standard practice.

2. How We Use Your Information

We only use your data for purposes directly connected to delivering a reliable news service. This includes:

• Managing your account and enabling features such as saved articles.
• Sending newsletters and breaking news alerts you have explicitly subscribed to.
• Analysing site traffic and content performance to improve our editorial output.
• Serving contextual advertisements through Google AdSense that help fund our independent journalism.
• Enforcing our Terms of Service and Editorial Guidelines.
• Responding to legal obligations, abuse reports, or security incidents.

We do not sell your personal data to third parties — ever.

3. Third-Party Services We Use

• Google Analytics 4: Measures traffic and content performance. You can opt out via the Google Analytics Opt-out Add-on.
• Google AdSense: Delivers ads. You can manage preferences at Google Ad Center.
• Social Media Widgets: Embedded widgets from Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube may collect data per their own privacy policies when you interact with them.
• Email Delivery Provider: We share subscriber email addresses solely to dispatch our newsletters. Providers are contractually barred from using them for any other purpose.

4. International Data Transfers

Ferox Times operates globally. Your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in countries other than your own, including the United States and India (via secure third-party cloud infrastructure providers). By using our services, you consent to this transfer. We ensure appropriate safeguards, such as Standard Contractual Clauses, are in place to protect your data internationally.

5. "Do Not Track" (DNT) Signals

Some web browsers transmit "Do Not Track" (DNT) signals. At this time, there is no universally accepted standard for how to respond to these signals. Therefore, our platform does not currently respond to DNT signals, but you retain full control over your data via our Cookie Consent banner and privacy settings.

6. Data Retention

Account data is kept for as long as your account remains active. Upon deletion request, personal data is removed within 30 days unless retention is legally required. Analytics data is retained for up to 14 months, then automatically deleted or anonymised.

7. Your Privacy Rights

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Rectification: Ask us to correct inaccurate data.
• Erasure: Request deletion of your account and personal data.
• Objection: Object to processing for direct marketing at any time.
• Portability: Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Withdraw Consent: Unsubscribe from newsletters at any time via any email footer link, or by contacting us directly.

Email us at [email protected] with subject line Data Privacy Request. We respond within 30 days and may verify your identity before processing your request.

8. Security

All data is transmitted over HTTPS. Passwords are stored using strong one-way hashing. Access to personal data within our team is restricted on a need-to-know basis. In the event of a breach affecting your data, we will notify you and relevant regulators as required by law.

9. Children's Privacy

Ferox Times is a general-audience news platform not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13. If you believe we have done so inadvertently, contact us immediately for prompt deletion.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy as our services or applicable law evolve. Material changes will be noted by updating the effective date above. Registered users will be notified by email for significant changes. Continued use of Ferox Times after an update constitutes acceptance.