How we handle your personal information

1. Who we are

BCN.media (Bharat Chronicle Network) is an independent, founder-led digital news platform. We are responsible for the personal information collected through bcn.media, including our daily e-paper and the forms on our website.

For any privacy question or request, email info@bcn.media.

2. Information we collect

Information you give us

• Contact, tip and correction forms: your name, email address, the subject and message, and any details you choose to include.
• Job applications: your name, email, phone number, location, links, message and CV.
• Newsletter sign-up: your email address, so we can tell you when our newsletter launches and send it to you if you wish.
• Accounts: if you register on the site, your username, email address, password (stored in encrypted form) and any profile details you add.
• Advertisers: business contact details and booking information.

Information collected automatically

• Technical and security data: IP address, browser and device type, pages requested and time of access, recorded by our web server and security tools to keep the site running and protect it from attacks.
• Cookies: small files needed for the site to work and to remember your cookie choices. See section 9.
• Page view counts: we count how often each story is read. These totals are not linked to your identity.
• Ad clicks: we count clicks on e-paper ads so we can report totals to advertisers. These counts are not linked to your identity.

Information from third parties

Some pages include content from other services, such as YouTube videos or social media posts. Those services may collect information about you under their own privacy policies.

3. How we use your information

• To publish the website and e-paper and keep them secure and working.
• To reply to your messages, consider your tips and correct our reporting.
• To assess job applications and contact candidates.
• To send newsletters or updates you have asked for.
• To manage advertising bookings and report results to advertisers in aggregate.
• To meet legal obligations.

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use it for targeted advertising.

4. Legal bases

Where laws such as India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023, the EU and UK GDPR or US state privacy laws apply, we rely on:

• Consent, for example for optional cookies and newsletters. You can withdraw it at any time.
• Legitimate interests, such as running and securing the site and responding to messages.
• Taking steps at your request, such as considering a job application or an advertising booking.
• Legal obligations, where the law requires us to keep or disclose information.

5. Who we share it with

We share personal information only when needed:

• Service providers that host our website, deliver email, manage cookie consent or protect the site. They may use the information only to provide their service to us.
• Other providers we may add, such as a newsletter platform or a payment processor if we introduce paid services. We will update this policy when we do.
• Authorities, if the law requires it. We will resist requests that would expose confidential journalistic sources, as far as the law allows.

6. International transfers

Our readers and service providers are in different countries, so your information may be processed outside the country where you live. When that happens we use providers that offer appropriate safeguards required by applicable law.

7. How long we keep it

• Messages, tips and correction reports: as long as needed to deal with them and keep a record of our reporting.
• Job applications: up to 12 months after a hiring decision, unless you ask us to delete them sooner.
• Newsletter sign-ups: until you unsubscribe.
• Accounts: until you delete your account or ask us to.
• Security logs: for a limited period set by our hosting and security tools.

8. Your rights

Depending on where you live, you can ask us to:

• access the personal information we hold about you;
• correct it if it is wrong or incomplete;
• delete it;
• restrict or object to how we use it;
• give you a copy in a portable format;
• withdraw consent you have given;
• handle a grievance about how we process your data (India).

Email info@bcn.media with "Privacy request" in the subject. We may need to confirm your identity. We aim to reply within 30 days. You can also complain to your data protection authority, such as the Data Protection Board of India, the UK Information Commissioner's Office or your national authority in the EU.

California residents: we do not sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioural advertising.

9. Cookies

We use essential cookies to run the site and a cookie banner to record your choices. Optional cookies are used only if you allow them. You can change your choice at any time through the cookie consent button on the site or in your browser settings. Embedded content from services such as YouTube may set its own cookies.

10. Children

BCN.media is a general news site and is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without the consent of a parent or guardian. If you believe a child has given us personal information, contact us and we will delete it.

11. Security

Our site uses encrypted connections (HTTPS), access to personal information is limited to the people who need it, and we use security software to protect the site. No system is completely secure, so please do not send us highly sensitive information by email or web form.

12. Changes to this policy

We will update this policy as BCN.media grows, for example when we launch a newsletter or other services. The date at the top shows the latest version. If we make significant changes, we will highlight them on the site.

13. Contact

BCN.media (Bharat Chronicle Network)
Email: info@bcn.media