Privacy Policy
Last updated: 3 July 2026
The Telangana Library is a labour of documentation, and the trust you place in it matters as much as the record itself. This policy explains, plainly, what personal data we collect, why, how long we keep it, who helps us process it, and the rights you have over it.
This policy is written to be consistent with India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act). In its terms, you are the Data Principal and the Telangana Library is the Data Fiduciary that decides how your data is handled.
1. Who we are
The Telangana Library is a personal, non-commercial archive of Telangana's history, statehood struggle and decade of governance, compiled and curated by Nayini Anurag Reddy. It is operated from Telangana, India, at telanganalibrary.com. For any privacy question or request, contact us at the address in Section 10.
2. What we collect
We only collect what the features you choose to use actually need.
| Data | When & why |
|---|---|
| Full name | When you create an account, to personalise your experience. |
| WhatsApp mobile number | Your login identity, and so the bot can reach you on WhatsApp. |
| Password | Stored only as a strong one-way hash (PBKDF2); we never see or store your actual password. |
| Assembly constituency (and, optionally, mandal / village) | To offer relevant, local context in answers. Mandal and village are optional. |
| Your questions and our answers | The messages you send to the chatbot, Fact Check and Before/After, and the replies generated, so the features work and can be improved. |
| WhatsApp messages & voice notes | If you use the bot on WhatsApp: your messages, and voice notes (which are converted to text so the bot can understand and reply). |
| Basic technical data | Standard information your browser or WhatsApp sends (such as request time and general device/network info) used for security, rate-limiting and reliability. |
We do not ask for your email, precise location, payment details, or any government ID.
3. How we use your data
- To run the chatbot, Fact Check and Before/After features and answer your questions.
- To keep you signed in and, sparingly, to personalise answers (for example, to your constituency).
- To protect the service from abuse (daily usage limits and anti-spam checks).
- To understand, in aggregate, how the Library is used so we can improve it.
We do not sell your data, and we do not use it for third-party advertising.
4. The processors who help run the service
Like most modern services, we rely on a small number of trusted, industry-standard providers ("Data Processors") to operate. Your data is shared with them only to the extent needed to deliver the features, under their own security and privacy commitments. These are, by category:
- Hosting and infrastructure providers: serve the website, run our secure backend, and store accounts and messages.
- AI service providers: generate the bot's answers to your questions.
- Speech processing providers: convert voice notes to text and text to speech for the voice features.
- Meta (WhatsApp): only if you choose to talk to the bot on WhatsApp; your use of WhatsApp is also governed by Meta's own privacy policy.
We may also disclose data if required by law or a valid legal request.
5. How long we keep it
- Chat, Fact Check and Before/After logs: automatically deleted after 60 days.
- Login sessions: expire after 30 days.
- Your account details (name, number, constituency): kept while your account is active, and deleted when you ask us to delete your account.
6. How we protect it
- All traffic is encrypted over HTTPS.
- Passwords are stored only as strong, salted one-way hashes; login tokens are stored hashed too.
- Administrative access is restricted and rate-limited against guessing.
- We collect the minimum data needed and delete message logs on a short schedule.
No system is perfectly secure, but we take reasonable, current measures to safeguard your data.
7. Your rights
Under the DPDP Act you can, at any time:
- Access a summary of the personal data we hold about you.
- Correct or update your details.
- Erase your account and associated data.
- Withdraw consent: after which you may no longer be able to use the account-based features.
- Raise a grievance about how your data is handled.
To exercise any of these, contact us (Section 10). We will respond within a reasonable time.
8. Children
The Library is intended for a general adult audience. If you are under 18, please use it only with the involvement of a parent or guardian. We do not knowingly collect data from children without such consent, and will delete it if we learn we have.
9. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as the Library grows or the law evolves. The "Last updated" date above always reflects the current version; significant changes will be highlighted on the site.
10. Contact & grievance
For any privacy question, or to access, correct or delete your data, contact:
Nayini Anurag Reddy, Telangana Library
Email: privacy@telanganalibrary.com
This policy is governed by the laws of India, and the courts of Telangana shall have jurisdiction over any dispute relating to it.