Privacy Policy

Our Commitment

Network18 Media and Investments Ltd. ("we", "us" , "news18.com", “firstpost.com”, “overdrive.in”, "News18", “Firstpost”, “Overdrive”, “Network18”) is committed to protecting the privacy of the users ("you" / "your" / "yourself") of its website / software applications offered by Network18 (collectively, "Applications") and has provided this privacy policy ("Policy") to familiarize you with the manner in which Network18 uses and discloses your information collected through the Applications.

The terms of the Policy provided herein govern your use of any and all of the Applications and the information accessible on or from these Applications. The Policy also lays down how Network18 may collect, use and share any information you provide. Network18 reserves the right, at its discretion, to change, modify, add or remove portions of this Policy at any time. Network18 recommends that you review this Policy periodically to ensure that you are aware of the current privacy practices.

This Policy shall be construed as provided in compliance with Information Technology Act, 2000 as amended and read with the Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011.

1. Collection of Information

1. Network18 may collect the following two types of information:

a. "Personal Information" which shall mean information which could reasonably be used to identify you personally, such as your name, email address, registration account details, physical address or other relevant personal details; and demographic information, such as gender, pin code or similar information. For the purpose of this policy, sensitive personal data or information has been considered as a part of Personal Information, which may include information such as password, financial information (details of bank account, credit card, debit card, or other payment instrument details).

b. "Non-Personal Information" which shall mean information that does not identify you or any other individual, and includes session, web beacons and usage data, log data and aggregate information. We use this information to inter-alia deliver our web pages to you upon request, to tailor our Application/website to the interests of our users, to measure traffic within our Application/website, to improve the Application/website quality, functionality and interactivity and let advertisers know the geographic locations from where our visitors come.

c. Network18 may install cookies or other similar data collection software in your computer system/device for such purpose and you hereby consent to the same. We may use "cookies", beacons or similar electronic tools to collect information to assign each visitor a unique, random number as a User Identification (User ID) to understand the user's individual interests using the identified computer. Unless you voluntarily identify yourself (through registration, for example), we will have no way of knowing who you are, even if we assign a cookie to your computer. The only personal information a cookie can contain is information you supply. A cookie cannot read data off your hard drive. Our advertisers may also assign their own cookies to your browser (if you click on their ads), a process that we do not control.

2. You represent that the information or data you provide from time to time is and shall be correct, current and updated and you have all the rights, permissions and consents to provide such information or data. Your providing the information or data and Network18`s consequent storage, collection, usage, transfer, access or processing of the same shall not be in violation of any third party agreement, laws, judgments, orders or decrees.

2. Use of Information

1. You may need to provide Network18 with your Personal Information while registering yourself on any of the Applications. The information so provided by you to Network18 or otherwise captured by Network18 may be used for a number of purposes connected with Network18`s business operations which may include the following:

a. Processing orders or applications;

b. Provisioning of services, testing or improvement of services, recommending various products or services including those of third parties;

c. Dealing with requests, enquiries and complaints, customer services and related activities;

d. Marketing products and services of Network18 and its analysis;

e. Responding to your queries and fulfilling your requests for information regarding the Applications;

f. Notifying you of any new offers or services of Network18 and sending you important information regarding the Applications, changes to any of Network18`s policies and/or other administrative information;

g. Keeping you informed about the latest content available on the Applications and special offers with respect to the same;

h. Sending you surveys and marketing communications that Network18 believes may be of interest to you;

i. Conducting internal reviews and data analysis for the Applications;

j. Personalizing your experience while using the Applications by presenting advertising, products and offers tailored to you;

k. If you wish to subscribe to any content package or service offered by Network18 through the Applications, for completing your purchase. (For example, to have your payments processed, communicate with you regarding your purchase and provide you with related customer service);

l. Improving the services, content and advertising on the Applications;

m. Protecting the integrity of the Applications; and

n. Responding to judicial process and provide information to law enforcement agencies or in connection with an investigation on matters related to public safety, as permitted by law.

2. Your Personal Information will be kept confidential to the maximum possible extent and will be used to support your relationship with Network18, to notify you of any updated information and new activities and other related functions offered by Network18. Any personally identifiable information provided by you will not be considered as sensitive if it is freely available and / or accessible in the public domain. Further, any comments, messages, blogs, scribbles etc. posted/uploaded/conveyed/communicated by users on the public sections of the Application becomes published content and is not considered personally identifiable information subject to this Policy.

3. Network18 may use Personal Information to verify whether you are entitled to access and use the Applications and the products and services made available through the Applications. This Personal Information may also be used to enable Network18 to enhance your experience of the Applications.

4. Further, with respect to Non-Personal Information automatically collected and stored in files, Network18 uses this information to understand and analyze trends, to administer the Applications, to learn about user behavior on the Applications, and to gather demographic information about the user base as a whole. Network18 may use this information in its marketing and advertising services. Network18 may also use such information to measure traffic patterns on the Applications. As Non-Personal Information does not personally identify you, Network18 may use and disclose Non-Personal Information for any purpose.

3. Disclosure

1. Network18 does not sell or rent Personal Information. Personal Information may be disclosed under the following circumstances:

a. Network18 may disclose your Personal Information to its affiliates, group companies, consultants, vendors and contractors who provide various services including, contact information verification, payment processing, customer service, website hosting, data analysis, infrastructure provision, IT services, and other similar services, under confidentiality restrictions, in order to enable such vendor and service providers to provide the services subscribed to by you;

b. Network18 may provide your information or data to its partners, associates, advertisers, service providers or other third parties to provide, advertise or market their legitimate products and/or services which may be of your interest. You will have the choice to 'opt out' of such marketing or promotional communications at your will; and

c. As necessary or appropriate: (a) in any manner permitted under applicable law, including laws outside your country of residence; (b) to comply with legal process whether local or foreign; (c) to respond to requests from public and government authorities, including public and government authorities outside your country of residence; (d) to enforce Network18`s terms and conditions; (e) to protect Network18`s rights, privacy, safety or property, and/or that of Network18`s affiliates, you or others; and (f) to allow Network18 to pursue available remedies or limit the damages that Network18 may sustain.

d. We may disclose to third party services certain personally identifiable information listed below:

• Information you provide us such as name, email, mobile phone number.
• Information we collect as you access and use our service, including device information, location and network carrier.

e. This information is shared with third party service providers so that we can:

• Personalize the app for you.
• Perform behavioural analytics.

2. Your consent being part of the terms and conditions through which Network18 provide you with a service. your consent to collecting Personal and Non-Personal Information may be implicit or implied or through course of conduct.

3. Application may present display advertising and may collect data about traffic via Google Analytics or any equivalent analytical tool, Demographics and Interest Reporting.

4. Information Security and Storage

1. Network18 uses reasonable security measures, at the minimum those mandated under the Information Technology Act, 2000 as amended and read with Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011, to safeguard and protect your data and information. Network18 implements such measures, as stated above, to protect against unauthorized access to, and unlawful interception of, Personal Information. You accept the inherent security implications of providing information over Internet/ cellular/data networks and will not hold Network18 responsible for any breach of security or the disclosure of Personal Information unless Network18 has been grossly and wilfully negligent.

2. Your information or data will primarily be stored in electronic form. However, certain data can also be stored in physical form. Network18 may store, collect, process and use your data in countries other than the Republic of India but under full compliance with applicable laws. Network18 may enter into agreement with third parties (in or outside of India) to store your information or data. These third parties may have their own security standards to safeguard your information or data and Network18 will on commercial reasonable basis require such third parties to adopt reasonable security standards to safeguard your information / data.

3. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Policy or elsewhere, Network18 shall not be held responsible for any loss, damage or misuse of your Personal Information, if such loss, damage or misuse is attributable to a Force Majeure Event. A "Force Majeure Event" shall mean any event that is beyond the reasonable control of Network18 and shall include, without limitation, sabotage, fire, flood, explosion, acts of God, civil commotion, strikes or industrial action of any kind, riots, insurrection, war, acts of government, computer hacking, unauthorized access to computer data and storage device, computer crashes, breach of security and encryption, etc.

5. Third Party Websites, Applications and Services

The Application/website may include links to other websites/applications. Such websites/application are governed by their respective privacy policies, which are beyond our control. Once you leave our servers (you can tell where you are by checking the URL in the location bar on your browser), use of any information you provide is governed by the privacy policy of the operator of the website/application you are visiting. That policy may differ from ours. If you can't find the privacy policy of any of these websites/application via a link from the website's homepage, you should contact the website/application directly for more information.

News18 uses the YouTube API Services to showcase video content on it's web and app platforms, and by accepting the above terms you also accept the YouTube Terms of Service (ToS) and Google privacy policy

6. Access, Correction and Deletion

Network18 provides you with all information that Network18 maintains about you such as the transaction and contact information upon proper verification. This may be provided to you on request, in case you experience any doubts. You may request access and/or correct the information Network18 has collected from you by contacting Network18 at data.privacy@nw18.com . If you wish to have the information or data that you have provided to Network18 deleted, you can always do so by sending a request to us on the e-mail id. You may note that correction or deletion of certain information or data may lead to cancellation of your registration with the Application(s) or your access to certain features of the Application(s). You also agree and acknowledge that certain data or information cannot be corrected or deleted or prohibited to be deleted as required under any applicable law, law enforcement requests or under any judicial proceedings.

If you have questions or concerns about this Policy, please contact Network18 at data.privacy@nw18.com