Privacy Policy

Last Updated: [Date - e.g., April 7, 2025]

Sikh Sentinel ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of visitors to our website located at [Your Website URL - e.g., sikhsentinel.org] (the "Site") and individuals who may provide information through the Site. This Privacy Policy outlines the types of information we may collect, how we use and protect that information, and your rights concerning your information.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of information:

  • Log Data: Like most website operators, we automatically collect information that your browser sends whenever you visit our Site ("Log Data"). This Log Data may include your computer's Internet Protocol ("IP") address, browser type, browser version, the pages of our Site you visit, the time and date of your visit, the time spent on those pages, and other standard statistics. This information is typically anonymized or pseudonymized and used for site analytics, security monitoring, and improving our services.
  • Cookies: We may use cookies (small text files placed on your device) to enhance your experience, analyze site usage, and ensure proper functioning of the Site. Cookies may include session cookies (which expire when you close your browser) and persistent cookies (which stay on your device for a set period). You can instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, if you do not accept cookies, some portions of our Site may not function properly.
  • Information Voluntarily Provided: If you choose to contact us or submit information through forms on our Site (e.g., an "Report Incident" form), we may collect personal information that you provide, such as:
    • Your name (optional or required, based on form design)
    • Your email address (optional or required)
    • Location information related to an incident
    • Details and descriptions of incidents or activities
    • Any other information you voluntarily submit.
    The submission of this information is entirely voluntary. We collect this information primarily to verify reports, seek clarification if necessary, understand trends, and aggregate data for our reporting and advocacy efforts.
  • Information from Public Sources: Some information displayed on the Site regarding incidents or organizations may be compiled from publicly available sources, such as news articles, public records, or third-party reports.

2. How We Use Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

  • To operate, maintain, and improve the Site and its features.
  • To monitor Site usage, analyze trends, and gather demographic information (primarily through aggregated or anonymized data).
  • To monitor and enhance the security of the Site.
  • To process and potentially verify information submitted through forms (e.g., incident reports).
  • To communicate with you, if you provide contact information and request or consent to communication (e.g., responding to inquiries or seeking clarification on submitted reports).
  • To aggregate and analyze data regarding anti-Sikh incidents and organizational activities for research, reporting, advocacy, and public awareness, generally in an anonymized or statistical format.
  • To comply with legal obligations or respond to lawful requests from authorities.

We do not sell or rent your personal information to third parties.

3. Legal Basis for Processing (Relevant for GDPR/Similar Laws)

Our legal basis for collecting and using the personal information described above will depend on the information concerned and the specific context. We generally process data based on:

  • Consent: Where you have provided voluntary consent, such as submitting an incident report.
  • Legitimate Interests: Where processing is necessary for our legitimate interests (e.g., operating the Site, analytics, security, pursuing our mission of monitoring and reporting), provided these interests are not overridden by your data protection rights.
  • Legal Obligation: Where processing is necessary to comply with the law.

4. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We may share information under the following limited circumstances:

  • Aggregated/Anonymized Data: We may share statistical, aggregated, or anonymized information regarding incidents or trends publicly or with researchers/partners, ensuring that individual identities are not disclosed.
  • Service Providers: We may employ third-party companies or individuals to facilitate our Site (e.g., hosting, analytics). These third parties have access to your information only to perform specific tasks on our behalf and are obligated not to disclose or use it for other purposes.
  • Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required by law, subpoena, court order, or other governmental request, or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to comply with legal processes or protect the rights, property, or safety of Sikh Sentinel, our users, or the public.
  • With Your Explicit Consent: We will not share personally identifiable information derived from voluntary submissions (like incident reports) with third parties for purposes other than those outlined herein without your explicit prior consent.

5. Data Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical security measures to protect the information we collect against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. We utilize HTTPS encryption for data transmission. However, please be aware that no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Data Retention

We retain Log Data for a limited period necessary for security and analysis purposes. Information provided voluntarily (e.g., incident reports) will be retained for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, for verification, for aggregation, and as potentially required by legal or archival considerations, subject to periodic review.

7. Your Data Protection Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information, including:

  • The right to access, update, or delete the information we have on you (primarily applicable to information you provided voluntarily).
  • The right to rectification if that information is inaccurate or incomplete.
  • The right to object to our processing of your personal information.
  • The right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal information.
  • The right to data portability (for information processed based on consent).
  • The right to withdraw consent at any time where we relied on your consent to process your information.

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the details below. Please note that these rights may be limited, for example, if fulfilling your request would reveal information about another person, or if you ask us to delete information which we are required by law to keep or have compelling legitimate interests in keeping. We may require verification of identity before responding to such requests.

8. Children's Privacy

Our Site is not intended for individuals under the age of 16 (or the applicable age of digital consent in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children. If you become aware that a child has provided us with personal information without parental consent, please contact us, and we will take steps to remove that information.

9. Links to Other Sites

Our Site may contain links to other sites that are not operated by us. If you click on a third-party link, you will be directed to that third party's site. We strongly advise you to review the Privacy Policy of every site you visit. We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites or services.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes are effective when they are posted on this page.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at: [Your Contact Email]