1. Scope & Acceptance
Welcome to City Samachar Connect ("we", "our", or "us"). We are committed to protecting the privacy, security, and personal data of every citizen, local business owner, and community member who accesses our web platform and Android mobile applications.
This Privacy Policy explains in transparent detail what information we collect, how it is processed and protected, your statutory rights under applicable data protection laws (including the Digital Personal Data Protection Act and global privacy principles), and how you can exercise full control over your data.
2. Information We Collect
We only collect the data necessary to provide verified local directory listings, breaking civic news, community video feeds, and secure citizen communication:
- Account Registration: Your full name, email address, contact phone number, and encrypted password.
- Business & Service Listings: Business name, category (e.g. Healthcare, Food, Services), contact numbers, WhatsApp numbers, street address, operating hours, and storefront photos.
- Citizen Content & Reels: Video captions, tags, video files, comments, and community media you voluntarily upload.
| Data Type | Purpose | Retention Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Session ID & Preferences | Remembers your theme (Light/Dark) and language choice (EN/HI/GU). | Up to 30 days or until cleared. |
| IP & User Agent | Rate limiting, DDOS prevention, and security auditing. | 90 days in server access logs. |
| Approximate Location | Filters directory listings and localized emergency alerts. | Processed in-memory; not stored without consent. |
3. How We Use Collected Data
City Samachar Connect utilizes the collected information exclusively for civic empowerment, local commerce facilitation, and reliable network operation:
- Real-Time Civic Alerts & News: Distributing urgent municipal notifications, weather advisories, transport updates, and community alerts via 10-second live polling.
- Local Directory Discovery: Connecting residents to nearby verified doctors, pharmacies, restaurants, mechanics, and public utilities.
- Verification & Anti-Fraud: Reviewing business listings prior to public approval to prevent spam, fraudulent numbers, or malicious listings.
- Community Engagement: Tracking reel views, likes, and interaction metrics to highlight trending neighborhood content.
4. Public Listings vs Private Data
It is essential to understand the distinction between public listing information and your private account credentials:
Public Directory Data
Business Title, Phone Number, WhatsApp Number, Category, Map Location, and Photos submitted as a listing are published publicly to help customers connect with you.
Private Account Data
Your personal login email, password hash, account role, and unpublished drafts remain strictly private and inaccessible to public visitors or other users.
5. User Content, Videos & Reels
City Samachar Connect allows users and creators to upload vertical reels and community videos showcasing urban life, local events, and cultural stories:
- Content Ownership: You retain complete ownership and intellectual property rights over any multimedia content you upload.
- Platform License: By uploading, you grant City Samachar Connect a non-exclusive license to display, stream, and format your media within the app and website.
- Prohibited Content: Content promoting hate speech, violence, harassment, copyright infringement, or adult/explicit media is strictly prohibited and subject to immediate removal and account suspension.
6. Cookies, Theme & Local Storage
We use essential first-party cookies and modern HTML5 Local Storage to improve your browsing comfort:
-
cc_theme(Local Storage): Remembers your Light or Dark Mode preference instantly to prevent white screen flashes. -
cc_lang(Cookie / Session): Stores your chosen language (English, Hindi, or Gujarati) across page visits. -
PHPSESSID(Cookie): Secure HTTP-only session cookie for logged-in authentication state.
You can easily reset cookies or local storage at any time through your web browser settings without impacting basic directory browsing.
7. Mobile App & Device Permissions
Our native Java/Kotlin Android App requests explicit runtime permissions on Android 8.0 through Android 15:
| Android Permission | Why It Is Needed | Can You Deny It? |
|---|---|---|
ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION |
Locates nearby emergency hospitals, pharmacies, and stores. | Yes. App will fall back to city-wide default search. |
READ_MEDIA_VIDEO / STORAGE |
Enables selecting local videos to upload to the Reels section. | Yes. Only required if you upload multimedia. |
POST_NOTIFICATIONS |
Delivers breaking news and urgent civic flash alerts. | Yes. Can be toggled inside Android Settings. |
CALL_PHONE |
Direct one-tap dialing for emergency helplines (112, 108). | Yes. Will prompt default phone dialer. |
8. Data Security & Storage
We enforce multi-tiered defense protocols to preserve the confidentiality and resilience of user records:
- Cryptographic Hashing: User passwords are encrypted using one-way
BCRYPTalgorithms with automated salt rotation. - Injection Prevention: All SQL queries use prepared parameterized statements via MySQLi/PDO to eliminate injection risks.
- MIME & File Validation: Uploaded images and video files undergo strict MIME-type sanitization and random filename generation to prevent arbitrary script execution.
9. Your Privacy Rights & Choices
Under citizen privacy standards, you maintain absolute control over your profile and business submissions:
Right to Rectify
Update phone numbers, store hours, or address at any time from your Profile Dashboard.
Right to Erasure
Request complete deletion of your business listing or registered citizen account permanently.
Right to Access
Receive a structured summary of all data records linked with your registered phone or email.
10. Third-Party Links & Map Services
City Samachar Connect integrates trusted civic tools to give you direct navigation and communication:
- Map Providers (Google Maps / OpenStreetMap): Clicking "View Map" opens the respective map provider in your browser or GPS application. Their independent privacy policy applies once navigated.
- WhatsApp Click-to-Chat: Opening a business chat links directly to the official WhatsApp protocol (
https://wa.me/...) on end-to-end encrypted terms. - Embedded Videos: City videos hosted via YouTube use privacy-enhanced embed modes to limit tracking cookies.
11. Grievance Redressal & Contact
If you have any questions, grievance redressal requests, listing disputes, or data erasure notices, our designated Data Grievance Officer is here to assist you:
Grievance Redressal Officer - City Samachar Connect
Civic Governance & Citizen Data Protection Cell