Last updated on : 22th Oct, 2020

We welcome you to Vaarta and thank you for your support in making Vaarta a leading podcast and story telling platform.

We encourage you to read through our Privacy Policy to understand all the aspects of how Vaarta collects and uses data relating to users of the platform. It is our endeavour to be transparent about our practices and demonstrate the respect we have for privacy of our users’ data. If you do not agree with these practices, you are advised not to use the Vaarta app and/or website.

 

PRIVACY POLICY 

This Privacy Policy documents the use, collection and storage of information pertaining to the use of Vanse infotech Pvt Ltd's (“Company”) ‘Vaarta’ website (www.vaarta.com) (“Website”), andthe Vaarta application available on Android and iOS, the ‘Vaarta FM’ and the ‘Vaarta Comics’ application available on Android (together “Application”) by any person (“User”/“You”/“Your”).  

Company facilitates a User to read, listen and/or upload literary/audio works such as books, poems, articles, comics etc, including cover images and audio (“Published Work”), read/listen to Published Work and literary/audio works published by Company (“Company Content”), in various languages and upload comments, reviews on such literary works of others the same or and communicate with Company and/or other Users through chats (“Inputs”), on the Website/Application (“Services”). Published Work and Company Content shall together be referred to as “Content”.

This Privacy Policy is a part of and is to be read with the Terms of Use. You agree to this Privacy Policy by using the Website/Application. If you do not agree with the same, please stop using the Website/Application.

What information does Company collect?

For Company to offer its Services to Users and to continuously improve the Users’ experience, Company collects certain information which constitute personally identifiable information (information which can be used to identify an individual) and non-personally identifiable information (information which cannot directly identify an individual) (together ‘User Information’) as mentioned below: 

Type of Information

Includes

Registration/Log in Data

Name, Email Address/ Facebook or Google or Apple log-in details along with profile details which are public or can be shared as per User’s privacy settings on these platforms.

Other details optionally given by the User such as gender, age, city etc

This also applies to Users during submission of Published Work through contests declared by the Company.

Usage Data

Inputs by Users on the Website/Application 

Data regarding pages or profiles visited, time spent on a page, navigation through the portal, location, language preference, search actions, participation in contests, interaction with other Users, including time and date of all such actions

Device Data

A device identifier token generated for each Android/iOS User, the make of the phone, browser version and type, IP Address

Contact List/ Friends List

Where Users agree to share the phone numbers of User’s contacts to refer the Website/Application, Company collects and uses them solely for referral and does not take any other action with respect to such information. The referred contacts will have an option to have their details removed from the database by writing in to contact@vaarta.com.

If agreed by a User, Company may collect Facebook identities of a User’s friends on Facebook when logging in through Facebook to the Website/Application. Company may use such information for increasing engagement between its Users on the Website/Application.

Payment Data

Billing information, credit card details, payment or banking information

Customer support

Information provided during request for User support to the Company’s executives.

 What does Company use the collected User Information for?

 Company uses the User Information to:

 

Can any third party access the User Information?

Company will never sell or rent any User Information to any third party. User Information may be accessed by third parties as described below:

  1. Business Partners: Authorized third party business partners, who handle the User Information in accordance with their own privacy policies as mentioned in the table, engaged for:

            i.          Analysing the User Information, for improving the Website/Application and the Services such as below: 

Services offered

Entity Name

Links to privacy policy

Analytics Services

Amplitude (Location: USA),

https://amplitude.com/privacy

Clevertap

https://clevertap.com/privacy-policy/

Facebook Analytics

https://www.facebook.com/policy.php

Google Analytics (Location USA)

https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/

https://firebase.google.com/support/privacy

https://policies.google.com/privacy#infosecurity

https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245

Notifications Services

Google Firebase (Location: US-central)

To deliver content to Users

Cloudflare

https://www.cloudflare.com/privacypolicy/

To process payment

Razorpay

https://razorpay.com/privacy/

Customer Support

Helpscout

https://www.helpscout.com/company/legal/privacy/

           ii.          Providing variety of services to the Company as determined by Company in good faith from time to time in relation to research, survey etc. to help improve the Services.

       2. Special Circumstances: Company will disclose personally identifiable information about a User

i. As and when required by law or litigation

ii. If Company determines that such a step is essential for national security, law enforcement, or other issues of public importance

iii. For enforcement of its Terms of Use

iv. In case of fraud, security or technical issues

     3. Corporate Restructuring: Company reserves the right to transfer User Information to another party as a result of merger,     acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of Company's assets to any third party.

      4. User Published Material: Company enables Users to interact with each other in its community building endeavours between authors and readers. Therefore, Users’ names, comments, likes etc are public and can be viewed by other Users. Users must ensure they do not put up any Inputs on the Website/Application which they do not intend to make public.

Where is the User Information stored and how is it secured?

Company hosts the Website/Application and all User Information in the cloud infrastructure of Amazon Web Services located at Mumbai, India. Amazon Web Services has robust security practices to protect the stored data, details of which can be found at https://aws.amazon.com/privacy/?nc1=f_pr. Some information is also stored in Google Firebase infrastructure.

Company follows a need-to-know policy internally to ensure only those employees can view the User Information as is necessary. Passwords are encrypted using sha512 and stored internally. Users must ensure that their passwords are safeguarded and are not shared with anyone in an unauthorized manner. Any unauthorized use may compromise the security of User Information.

Keeping in mind the nature of the internet, Users acknowledge that despite the very robust security measures, safety of User Information may not be guaranteed.

How is the User Information collected and what are the opt-out options?

User Information is collected by Company primarily in the following manner:

  1. User-provided Information: Details provided by a User while logging-in/registering on the Website/Application and while providing Inputs on the Website/Application.
  2. Collected through Cookies: Cookies are small files placed locally on the browser through which the Website is being accessed. Cookies are placed by Company for various purposes as detailed below: 

Type

Placed by

Nature of tracking

Mandatory

Company

Enable Website usage by Users

Analytical purposes

Analytical

Third Parties (Google, Facebook, HelpScout)

Mapping of Users

Analytical purposes

A User may choose to opt-out of cookies on their browser. However, this may affect the performance of the Website.

3. API Calls: API Calls consists of data generated when a User performs an activity on the Website/Application such as navigating to different pages, clicking on buttons, reading content etc. This data is collected and used by Company and may be shared with authorized third parties as described in this Privacy Policy.

What are the rights of Users with respect to their User Information?

  1. Registration: Users have the option to not register on the Website/Application if they do not want to share the mandatory personally identifiable information required to do so. Their ability to use the Website/Application may be restricted as reasonably determined by Company.
  2. Modification or Deletion: Users may modify or delete their profile details from their account settings on the Website/Application. Users are encouraged to keep their information up-to-date.
  3. Deletion of Profile: Users may ask for deletion of their profile and their personally identifiable information will be deleted along with any content they may have published on the Website/Application. However, some fragments of the User Information may still be available on the internet. Further, all history of the User will remain with Company.
  4. Notifications: Company would like to engage with Users through notifications for suggested reading etc via the Website/Application and email. A User can set the frequency of such notifications through their account settings or completely opt-out of the same. However, notifications regarding the User’s account and the Website/Application itself will continue to be sent.
  5. Opt-out: If a User desires Company to cease usage of his User Information on the Website/Application for any of the purposes mentioned herein, User may write to contact@vaarta.com. Company will endeavour to assist Users with its requests and fulfil the requests. However, any such action may adversely affect the User experience on the Website/Application.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

Company may update and revise this Privacy Policy from time to time. The revised Privacy Policy will be posted as a notification here: https://vaarta.com/privacy-policy

Users are advised to periodically check this page to stay informed about changes to this Privacy Policy.

If a User disagrees to any of the changes to the Privacy Policy, User shall refrain from using or accessing the Website/Application/Services. User’s continued use following the posting of the revised Policy shall indicate their acceptance and acknowledgement of the changes and the User will be bound by it.

Contact

In case of any questions / doubts / legal query about this Privacy Policy, Users may contact Vaarta at: contact@vaarta.com

Conflict

In case of any conflict arising in the interpretation of the Privacy Policy in English and any other language as it may be made available on the Website/Application, the terms of the English version shall prevail.