Privacy Policy

Welcome to the official mobile application of ISKCON Hadapsar. We are deeply committed to respecting your privacy and safeguarding your personal data. This comprehensive Privacy Policy outlines our enterprise-level practices regarding the collection, use, processing, and protection of your information when you engage with our application. This document is strictly aligned with global data protection standards (including guidelines applicable in 2026) and the latest Google Play Developer Policies.

1. Information Collection and Processing

We have architected our application based on a "Privacy-First" and "No Forced Login" model. The vast majority of our digital spiritual services (including Live Darshan, Native Alarms, Audio Kirtans, and Offline features) are accessible anonymously. We process data only in the following explicit scenarios:

Financial Security Declaration: We DO NOT store, process, or transmit your credit/debit card numbers, UPI PINs, or banking passwords on our servers. All monetary transactions are securely routed through highly regulated, RBI-approved, PCI-DSS compliant third-party payment gateways. All data transmitted between your device and our servers is strictly Encrypted in Transit using modern HTTPS protocols.

2. Local Device Storage & App State

To deliver a seamless, offline-capable spiritual experience, we utilize your device's local storage (Shared Preferences/SQLite). This data is strictly client-side and is never uploaded to our servers or shared with third parties:

• Offline Japa Mala: Your daily chanting history and counter progress remain securely on your device.
• Interactive Modules: Progress and unlock states for spiritual learning modules and games.
• UI Preferences: Application settings such as Dark/Light mode toggles and multi-language selections (Hindi, Marathi, English).

3. Device Permissions, Alarms & Background Processing

To execute core application functionalities without interruption, we transparently request the following device permissions in strict accordance with Google Play's core functionality and battery optimization policies:

• Notifications (POST_NOTIFICATIONS): Used exclusively to send you spiritual reminders, Japa Sadhana progress alerts, and daily Aarti timings. We do not use notifications for spam or third-party marketing.
• Exact Alarms (SCHEDULE_EXACT_ALARM): Essential for our native "Japa Tracker" and "Aarti Schedule" systems. This allows the app to ring exactly at the time of an Aarti or send you your Japa intervals.
  
  *Compliance Notice: To ensure maximum security, battery optimization, and adherence to the latest Android 14+ guidelines, we utilize standard SCHEDULE_EXACT_ALARM. We have explicitly deprecated and permanently removed the use of USE_EXACT_ALARM and USE_FULL_SCREEN_INTENT from our application architecture.
• Wake Lock & High-Priority Notifications: Used strictly during an active Alarm/Reminder to deliver a High-Priority Android Notification to briefly wake up your device screen safely, ensuring you do not miss your spiritual schedule without violating background activity rules.
• Foreground Services (Background Audio): Our application features an advanced media player allowing devotees to listen to Kirtans and Aartis while using other apps. We utilize Android Foreground Services (with a persistent notification) strictly to maintain continuous audio playback.
• Internet & Network State: Essential to verify your connection status before loading Live Darshan streams via our integrated Web-Engine to prevent application crashes.

4. External Links & Promotions

Our ecosystem extends beyond this app. We provide integrated links leading to our official external E-commerce portals (for purchasing verified spiritual books, Puja items, and merchandise). Furthermore, we feature cross-promotional sections highlighting our other official mobile applications.

Please be advised that clicking these links navigates you away from this App. Interactions, purchases, and data collection on those external platforms are governed entirely by their respective Privacy Policies and Terms of Service.

5. Third-Party Analytics & Advertising Policies

We leverage industry-leading third-party infrastructures to ensure global scalability, crash reporting, and content delivery. To sustain server operations and ongoing technical maintenance, we display carefully calibrated advertisements via Google AdMob. Our advertising architecture is engineered to strictly follow the Google Play Better Ads Standards:

• App Open Ads (Strict Compliance): We utilize App Open Ads designed to trigger seamlessly upon a "Cold Start" (fresh launch) or when resuming the application from the background. We explicitly do not display App Open Ads over Splash Screens or loading dialogs, ensuring full compliance with Google's unexpected interstitial ad policies.
• Frequency Capped Interstitial Ads: To preserve your uninterrupted devotional experience, Interstitial Ads are algorithmically frequency-capped. They are triggered strictly upon natural transitions, specifically limited to displaying only once every 5 application page navigations.
• Advertising ID & Personalization: AdMob utilizes standard device identifiers (such as the Android Advertising ID) to serve contextual or personalized ads based on your Google account preferences. You retain the right to opt out of personalized ads at any time via your device's Google settings (Settings > Google > Ads).
• Firebase & YouTube APIs: We utilize Firebase for real-time database management and crash monitoring (without collecting personal device data), alongside embedded YouTube Data APIs used exclusively to stream high-definition Live Darshan within the app interface.

6. Age Requirements & Children's Privacy

7. Data Retention & Deletion Mechanism

We retain voluntarily provided data (such as donation logs) solely for the duration mandated by Indian taxation and accounting laws. Because our app does not enforce account creation, there is no digital profile to delete. We do not share any user data with third parties for their own marketing purposes.

Your Right to Erasure (Play Store Mandate): If you wish to request the permanent deletion of your communication logs, donation history, or any other data associated with your email/phone number in our systems, you may submit a formal Data Deletion Request.

Please email om12grt@gmail.com with the subject line "Account/Data Deletion Request". Our technical engineering team will process and confirm the complete removal of your records from our active databases within 15 to 30 business days.

8. Google Play Data Safety Summary

For absolute transparency and compliance with the Google Play Data Safety declaration, please note the following core principles of our architecture:

• Data Collection is Optional: Users can navigate the app fully without providing any personal data. Data is only collected upon initiating a voluntary donation.
• Data is Encrypted in Transit: Any data sent to our backend services travels exclusively over secure HTTPS connections.
• No Unauthorized Sharing: Your personal data is never sold, traded, or transferred to third parties (except trusted payment gateways solely for processing your initiated transactions).
• User Control: Users possess full, unrestricted rights to request the deletion of their data at any time via the official contact mechanisms provided below.