Privacy Statement

1. Introduction
   1. This document constitutes an agreement between Shout for Help, its licensors, subsidiaries, associates, affiliates (herein after referred as “Shout for Help", "us", "we" and "our") and you (hereinafter referred as the "User", "you" and "your"). This document describes the privacy policy (Privacy Policy) of the website maintained at the domain name www.shoutforhelp.org (Site) and related mobile application (App) along with associated software (collectively referred as the “Platform”)
   2. We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy informs you as to how we look after your personal data collected from you when you use our Platform, or otherwise interact with us (for example, by sending us emails, or by registering for and receiving any of our e-mails and newsletters; or as a mere visitor of our website regardless of where you visit it from) and informs you about your privacy rights and how the law protects you.
   3. By merely visiting the Platform, you are accepting and consenting to the policy usage as described in this Privacy Policy. Please read this Privacy Policy to learn about our Information (as defined in Clause 3.1 below) gathering and dissemination practices.
   4. This document is an electronic record as defined under 2 (t) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and rules thereunder as applicable and the provisions pertaining to electronic records in various statutes as amended by the Information Technology Act, 2000. This is an electronic record, generated by a computer system and does not require any physical or digital signatures.
   5. This Privacy Policy is displayed by virtue of a legal requirement under the provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000 that require 'intermediaries' to publish the rules and regulations, privacy policy and terms for access or usage of the Platform and is primarily governed by Rule 3 (1) of the Information Technology (Intermediaries guidelines) Rules, 2011.
   6. If you do not accept any of the terms of this Privacy Policy, then please do not use the Online Portal or avail any of the services being provided therein. YOUR AGREEMENT TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY SHALL OPERATE AS A BINDING AGREEMENT BETWEEN YOU AND SHOUT FOR HELP IN RESPECT OF THE SERVICES OF THE PLATFORM. It is your responsibility and duty to check this Privacy Policy periodically for changes. Your continued use of the Portal subsequent to any change to the Policy will mean that you accept and agree to the changes.
2. Consent
   1. This Privacy Policy is being framed in view of the Information Technology Act, 2000, read with Regulation 4 of the Information Technology (Reasonable security practices and procedures and sensitive personal data or information) Rules, 2011 and Regulation 3(1) of the Information Technology (Intermediaries Guidelines) Rules, 2011.
   2. Merely by using the Platform, it is understood that you have read, understood and agreed to the terms outlined in this Privacy Policy and you agree to be bound by this Privacy Policy. You hereby consent to our collection, use, sharing and divulging of your Information as described in this Privacy Policy. We reserve the right to change, modify, add or delete clauses from this Privacy Policy, at our absolute discretion, at any time, without any notice whatsoever. In case you wish to be aware of any changes, it is suggested that you review this Privacy Policy periodically. If at any point in time you do not agree with the terms and conditions of this Privacy Policy, refrain from using or accessing the Platform.
3. Collection of Information
   1. Information, for the purposes of this Privacy Policy, shall mean and include, but not be limited to, contact information (like your email address and phone number); demographic information (like your gender, date of birth and address along with pin code); login credentials; personally identifiable documents including but not limited to government issued identity cards; information regarding your usage of the Platform; device specific information, any other information you disclose on the Platform, logs, and other information that you voluntarily choose to provide (like any information shared by you with us through emails or letters). In general, you can anonymously access the Platform without telling us who you are or revealing any personal information about yourself. However, once you give us your personal information, you are not anonymous to us.
   2. The Information collected from you by us may be considered as ‘personal Information’ or ‘sensitive personal data or Information’ under the Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Information) Rules, 2011 (“SPDI Rules”). During your usage of the Platform, personal Information which is provided by you is collected and stored by us, mainly, to ensure that you enjoy a safe, effective and customized experience. Collection and storage of your Information also enables us to provide various customised features which meet your particular needs.
   3. As a User, you always have the option to not provide specific Information by choosing not to use a specific feature on the Platform. Where applicable, we also indicate compulsory and optional fields. Based on your continual behaviour on the Platform, we may automatically track certain Information about you to do internal research on users’ demographics and particular interests, to serve you in a better manner.
   4. To monitor and analyse the Site’s flow, run customise promotional features and promote safety, we use data collection files such as “cookies” and pixel tags and clear gifs on certain pages of the Site. “Cookies” are small files which are stored on a user's Device (Device shall mean and include, but not be limited to either a computer or a mobile phone or any other device using which the Platform is accessed). They are designed to hold a marginal amount of data specific to a particular user and website, and can be accessed either by the web server or the User Device. This allows our server to deliver a page customised to a particular User.
   5. Session cookies are automatically deleted from your hard drive once a session ends, and most cookies are session cookies. In case your browser permits, you may decline our cookies, however, if you decline our cookies, you may be unable to use certain features on the Site and you may be required to re-enter your password frequently. You may opt to leave them turned on.
   6. Use of Google Analytics or similar third-party analytic tools: We may use Google Analytics or similar analytic tools to help us improve the services we provide by collecting information about how visitors use our website, to understand user behaviour, etc. These cookies gather Information in an anonymous form and enable us to know how many people visit our website, where the visitors have come to the website from, how long they stay on our website and what pages they view. Such third-party tools may place additional Cookies, the use of which we do not control.
   7. When you post messages on our message panels or give us any feedback, we will collect such Information provided to us. This Information may be retained by us to resolve disputes/issues/concerns, grant User support and troubleshoot problems as allowed under permissible law.
   8. Your user password is always stored with us in an encrypted form and only you shall know such password. The Platform is not responsible for any activity which is undertaken when your password is used, by anyone other than you. It is highly recommended that you do not disclose your password to anyone.
   9. Other than as specifically stated in this Privacy Policy, we will disclose your Information if we are required to do so by law or similar requirements or when we, in our exclusive discretion, finds it necessary to do so, to ensure that its rights or rights of others are protected, to prevent harm to persons or property, to counter fraud and credit related risks, or to enforce the Terms and Conditions.
4. Confidentiality
   1. We maintain your Information in electronic form on its devices, and on the equipment of our employees, directors, consultants, service providers, agents, partners (collectively referred as “Affiliates”) in an encrypted form. User information including but not limited to identity documents, personally identifiable information is made accessible to Affiliates only on a strict need-to-know basis. Affiliates are bound by strict confidentiality obligations.
   2. It is important for you to be protected against unauthorized access, you shall always maintain secrecy of your user id and password. Kindly ensure that you log off from the Site, once you finish using the Site. We do not undertake any liability for any unauthorized use of your account and password. If you suspect any unauthorized use of your account, immediately notify the us by sending an email to support@shoutforhelp.org. You shall be liable to indemnify us in the event of any loss suffered by it caused by such unauthorized use of your account.
   3. While we take all reasonable measures to ensure confidentiality of Information, we shall not be responsible for events that are beyond the reasonable control of us including but not limited to, governmental acts, judicial orders, server crashes, service fluctuations in internet or telephone services, etc.
   4. You understand and acknowledge that merely by posting Content (as defined under User Agreement) you permit search engines like Google, Bing to index your Content including personal information in their search results. However, we shall in no way permit search engine indexing of your sensitive personal data as defined under SPDI Rules.
5. Third Party Links
   1. The Platform may contain links to third party websites. When you click those links and access such websites, your use thereof may be governed by separate terms as may be applicable to such websites.
   2. We make no warranties or representations, express or implied about such linked websites, the third parties they are owned and operated by, the information contained on them or the suitability of quality of their products or services.
   3. If you decide to access any third-party website and make use of the information contained on them and/or enter into any contract and/or make any transaction with such third party, you do so entirely at your own risk. We disclaim all liability for damage or loss, however caused in the connection with the use of or reliance on any information, material, products or services contained on or accessed through any such linked third party websites.
   4. Simply by virtue of inclusion of third-party links on the Platform, it must not be understood that the we are endorsing the website, the website provider, or the information contained therein.
6. Use of Algorithms
   1. We use algorithms for the listing of Services which is a fully automated system that lists the help seeker’s issues / cases thereto on the Platform. The order of listings does not represent any fixed objective ranking or endorsement us.
   2. The listing order of Services is based on automated computation of the various factors including inputs made by the Users including their comments and feedback. Such factors may change from time to time and we shall in no event will be held responsible for the accuracy and the relevancy of the listing order of the Services on the Platform.
7. Disclosure of Information to Other Users of the Platform
   1. You may disclose Information to other users by posting your requirement, issue, contact details or any personally identifiable data on the Platform dashboards, or through in-app communication, by sending personal messages through the Platform.
   2. You may disclose your phone number, email id or any other contact information or any other personal information to the other users of the Platform solely at your discretion. By posting your phone number, email id, or uploading documents containing personal information through user dashboards, timelines, user chats you understand that such recipient may use such information solely at his discretion.
   3. You understand and acknowledge that by providing your personal information in terms of this clause 7, we shall not be liable to actions taken by the recipient user of your personal data. You understand the risk involved while posting personal information on the Platform and shall not in any case make the Platform liable for any claim, damages that may arise pursuant to you sharing personal information with the other users of the Platform.
8. Security Standards
   1. We have in place, standard security policies and technical measures to protect the Information that it possesses from you, from unauthorized access, improper collection, use or disclosure, unlawful modification and illegal destruction or inadvertent loss. However, for any loss or theft of information, due to unauthorized access to the User’s devices through which the User accesses the Platform, we shall not be held liable for any loss whatsoever incurred by the User.
   2. We have reasonable security practices and has a comprehensive documented Information security programme consisting of operational and physical security control measures to safeguard the Information collected. By using the Services, you acknowledge and consent to the cross-border transfer of your sensitive personal data or information by us only when absolutely necessary for a performance of lawful obligations. In the event of such cross-border transfer we shall ensure the same level of data protection that is adhered by us in India.
9. Closure of Account
   1. Subject to Terms & Conditions as applicable to you, if you choose to close your account, your Information will mostly stop being visible to others using the Platform within 48 (forty-eight) business hours. Closed account Information is generally deleted within 30 (thirty) days of account closure, except as provided below.
   2. We retain your Information even upon closure of your account, if reasonably necessary to comply with, among others, our legal obligations as per applicable laws, resolve disputes if any, maintain security protocols, prevent fraud, enforce Terms and Conditions, etc. We will however continue to hold de-personalized and anonymised Information after your account has been closed.
   3. Subject to other terms, we store Information until it is no longer necessary to provide our Services or until your account is deleted - whichever comes first. This is a case-by-case determination that depends on specifications like the nature of the data, why it is collected and processed, and relevant legal or operational retention needs. Further, the Information you have shared with others using the Platform might remain visible even after closure of your account or deletion of Information from our servers, from profiles or e-mail inboxes of such other users, and we do not control any information that other Users or other persons copy, save through such means.