Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

Effective Date: September 24, 2026
Last Reviewed & Updated: September 24, 2026

The Ganges Today (thegangestoday.in) is committed to protecting the privacy, confidentiality, and data sovereignty of our readers and website visitors. This comprehensive Privacy Policy governs your use of our digital platform and outlines how personal data is collected, utilized, stored, and protected in compliance with:

• India’s Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 and the Information Technology Act, 2000 (along with associated Intermediary Guidelines & Digital Media Ethics Code Rules, 2021).
• European Union General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR) and the UK GDPR / Data Protection Act 2018.
• United States State Privacy Laws, including the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), Virginia VCDPA, Colorado CPA, Connecticut CTDPA, and Utah UCPA.
• Google AdSense & Advertising Partner Program Policies, including the EU User Consent Policy and requirements for Certified Consent Management Platforms (CMP).

1. Data Fiduciary & Publisher Identity

For the purposes of applicable data protection legislation, the Data Fiduciary (or Data Controller) operating this platform is:

2. Information We Collect

We believe in strict data minimization. We only collect information necessary to deliver high-speed, reliable journalistic reporting, maintain cybersecurity, and support sustainable operations through compliant digital advertising:

• Automated Technical & Diagnostic Log Data: When you access thegangestoday.in, our web servers and edge security partners (including Cloudflare Inc.) automatically record standard internet protocol data. This includes your Internet Protocol (IP) address, browser user-agent string, operating system, referring URL, pages viewed, time spent per dispatch, and access timestamps. This data is processed strictly for server load balancing, preventing Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) cyberattacks, identifying malicious bots, and guaranteeing site performance.
• Cookies and Digital Identifiers: Small alphanumeric text files stored on your browser to recognize your preferences, maintain session state, and deliver programmatic advertising (described in detail in Section 4 below).
• Voluntary Reader Correspondence: If you voluntarily contact our newsroom, file a factual correction, register an editorial grievance under the IT Rules 2021, or submit an advertising inquiry, we collect your name, email address, organizational affiliation (if applicable), and message details. This information is retained solely to investigate and resolve your request.

3. Purpose & Lawful Basis for Processing

We process personal data only when authorized by valid legal grounds under applicable data privacy frameworks:

• Legitimate Interests & Security: Processing technical server logs to prevent security intrusions, maintain server uptime, mitigate fraud, and optimize broadsheet rendering across mobile and desktop devices.
• User Consent: For the placement of non-essential cookies, analytics, and personalized programmatic advertisements in jurisdictions requiring affirmative consent (such as the EEA, United Kingdom, and Switzerland).
• Statutory & Legal Compliance: Processing communications and maintaining audit logs necessary to fulfill statutory obligations under India’s IT Rules 2021, Press Council of India standards, and court orders.
• Contractual & Legitimate Inquiries: Answering editorial submissions, copyright inquiries, and reader-initiated communications.

4. Google AdSense, Cookies & Third-Party Advertising Disclosures

The Ganges Today is funded through reader subscriptions, corporate partnerships, and programmatic digital advertising delivered via Google AdSense and authorized advertising exchanges. Google and our advertising partners adhere to strict programmatic publishing standards.

In compliance with Google AdSense Publisher Policies, we provide the following required legal disclosures:

• Third-Party Vendor Cookies: Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies, web beacons, and unique mobile/device identifiers to serve advertisements based on a user’s prior visits to this website or other websites across the Internet.
• DoubleClick & Advertising Cookies: Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its certified advertising partners to serve relevant ads to visitors based on their browsing history on The Ganges Today and/or other properties across the World Wide Web.
• Non-Personalized Ads (NPA): In jurisdictions where users decline consent for personalized tracking, ads are served based on contextual criteria (such as the editorial subject of the current article or approximate geographic location) rather than individual user profiling.

User Advertising Opt-Out Mechanisms

You have the absolute right to control how advertising partners use your data for interest-based advertising. You may opt out of personalized advertising through any of the following independent mechanisms:

• Google Ads Settings: You can manage or opt out of personalized Google advertising directly at Google Ads Settings (https://www.google.com/settings/ads).
• Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA): You can opt out of participating third-party ad networks using the DAA WebChoices Consumer Tool at aboutads.info/choices (https://optout.aboutads.info/).
• Network Advertising Initiative (NAI): You can opt out of interest-based ads from NAI member companies at networkadvertising.org/choices (https://optout.networkadvertising.org/).
• European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance (EDAA): European visitors can manage ad preferences at Your Online Choices (https://www.youronlinechoices.eu/).

5. European Economic Area (EEA), UK & Swiss User Consent (GDPR)

In compliance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the UK Data Protection Act 2018, and the ePrivacy Directive, The Ganges Today has implemented a Google-Certified Consent Management Platform (CMP) integrated with the IAB Europe Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF v2.2).

When visitors from the EEA, UK, or Switzerland access our website, they are presented with an interactive consent dialogue offering three distinct, equal choices:

• Consent: Authorizes Google and certified advertising partners to use cookies and personal data for personalized advertising, audience measurement, and content personalization.
• Do Not Consent: Restricts advertising to non-personalized contextual ads, disables third-party tracking cookies, and ensures only strictly essential technical cookies are utilized.
• Manage Options: Enables granular customization of vendor permissions, processing purposes, and legitimate interest objections.

Withdrawing or Changing Consent: You may change or withdraw your consent preferences at any time. You can reset your preferences by clearing your browser cookies or by accessing the “Cookie & Privacy Preferences” link in the footer of any page on thegangestoday.in.

6. United States State Privacy Disclosures (CCPA / CPRA & State Acts)

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), and similar privacy statutes in Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, and Utah, residents of these states have specific statutory protections:

• Notice of Collection: In the preceding 12 months, we and our programmatic partners may have collected: Identifiers (IP addresses, unique cookie IDs), Internet and electronic network activity information (browsing interactions, referring URLs), and Geolocation data (coarse country/state level derived from IP).
• Categories of Processing: Data is collected to maintain cybersecurity, perform diagnostic analytics, and display programmatic digital advertising.
• Right to Know & Access: You have the right to request disclosure of what personal information we collect, use, and disclose.
• Right to Delete & Correct: You have the right to request deletion or correction of inaccurate personal data held by us, subject to statutory journalistic exceptions.
• Right to Opt Out of Sale or Sharing: We do not sell your personal data for monetary consideration. However, under California law, the transfer of digital identifiers to third-party ad networks for cross-context behavioral advertising may be classified as “sharing” or “selling.” You may exercise your right to opt out through our CMP prompt, browser-level Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals, or by emailing [email protected] with the subject line “CCPA Opt-Out Request”.
• Non-Discrimination: We will never discriminate against you, degrade content access, or alter your user experience because you exercised any statutory privacy right.

7. India Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023

As an Indian digital media publisher, The Ganges Today fully implements the statutory safeguards enacted under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023:

• Data Principal Rights: Readers have the statutory right to obtain a summary of personal data being processed, request correction or erasure of obsolete or inaccurate personal information, and nominate an individual to exercise rights in the event of death or incapacity.
• Children’s Privacy Protection: In accordance with Section 9 of the DPDP Act 2023, we do not knowingly process personal data of children under the age of 18 without verifiable parental consent, nor do we engage in targeted behavioral tracking directed at minors.
• Grievance Recourse: If you believe your personal data has been handled inconsistently with DPDP Act mandates, you may file a formal grievance with our Data Protection Liaison at [email protected]. If unresolved within 30 days, you retain the statutory right to escalate complaints to the Data Protection Board of India.

8. Infrastructure Partners & Third-Party Services

To deliver a resilient, ultra-fast reading environment, we collaborate with industry-leading technical infrastructure partners who maintain stringent data security controls:

• Cloudflare Inc. (USA / Global): Provides edge reverse-proxy caching, DDoS mitigation, web application firewall (WAF) filtering, and TLS 1.3 encryption. Cloudflare processes transient request metadata strictly to safeguard network integrity.
• Google LLC (Google AdSense & Google Fonts): Provides programmatic advertisement inventory and optimized web typography rendering. Google adheres to EU-US Data Privacy Framework principles.
• External Hyperlinks: Our news dispatches frequently cite external government portals, corporate disclosures, and international media. The Ganges Today exercises no control over the privacy architectures or practices of third-party domains. Readers are encouraged to review the respective policies of external destinations.

9. Data Retention & Security Standards

We deploy robust organizational, administrative, and technological security measures to protect personal data against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. Server access is restricted through public-key cryptography, multi-factor authentication, and automated intrusion monitoring. Technical log data is automatically purged or anonymized on a regular rotating cycle.

10. Updates & Amendments to this Policy

We reserve the right to amend, update, or revise this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect technological developments, advertising network modifications, or statutory amendments to Indian and international privacy legislation. Any material revision will be reflected immediately on this page with an updated “Last Reviewed & Updated” timestamp.