Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy – The Voice of Sikkim

Effective Date: 21 June 2026

Welcome to The Voice of Sikkim (www.voiceofsikkim.com), Sikkim’s most trusted online news source. At The Voice of Sikkim (“we,” “our,” or “us”), amplifying the voices of the Northeast goes hand in hand with protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy outlines what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding it, in accordance with the Information Technology Act, 2000, the IT (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011, and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act). By using our site, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

  1. Information We Collect

A. Personal Information — collected only when you voluntarily provide it (newsletter sign-up, comments, contact forms):

  • Name
  • Email address
  • Contact information
  • Other details submitted via website forms

B. Non-Personal Information — collected automatically:

  • IP address
  • Browser type and operating system
  • Device type
  • Referral URLs
  • Pages visited and time spent on site
  • Cookies and similar tracking technologies
  1. How We Use Your Information
  • Provide, maintain, and improve our news publishing services
  • Personalize your reading experience
  • Respond to reader inquiries, feedback, or comments
  • Send newsletters or breaking news alerts (if opted in)
  • Analyze traffic to improve editorial offerings
  • Prevent fraud and secure the website

  1. AI Content and Usage Policy

A. Editorial Transparency We may use AI-assisted tools for research, grammar checks, translation, or summarizing public data. All published articles undergo human editorial review before publication. We do not publish AI-generated news without human verification.

B. Protection Against AI Scraping Our original reporting, text, images, and multimedia are our intellectual property. Unauthorized scraping or harvesting of our content by third-party AI bots or LLMs for training purposes, without our written consent, is prohibited.

C. User Data and AI Training We do not use readers’ personal information to train any AI model, internal or external.

  1. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies to improve your browsing experience, categorized as:

  • Essential cookies — required for the site to function
  • Analytics cookies — help us understand site traffic (e.g., Google Analytics)
  • Advertising cookies — used by ad partners to serve relevant ads

You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings, though this may limit certain site features.

  1. Advertising and Third-Party Ad Networks

The Voice of Sikkim displays advertisements through Google AdSense and other ad partners. These third parties may use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites. You can opt out of personalized advertising through Google Ads Settings (adssettings.google.com) or learn more via Google’s page on how it uses information from partner sites (policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites).

  1. Third-Party Services

We integrate third-party services such as Google Analytics and social media plugins. These providers access only the non-personal data necessary to perform their function. Review their respective privacy policies for details on their data practices.

  1. Sharing of Information

We do not sell, trade, or unlawfully transfer your personal information. We only share it with:

  • Service Providers bound by confidentiality agreements
  • Legal Authorities, when required by law or valid government request

  1. Data Retention

We retain personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, or as required by applicable law. Once no longer needed, data is securely deleted or anonymized.

  1. Data Security

We use SSL encryption, secure hosting, and regular security audits. While we take data protection seriously, no method of internet transmission is 100% secure.

  1. Your Rights and Choices

As a reader, you have the right to:

  • Access the personal data we hold about you
  • Correct or update inaccurate data
  • Request deletion of your data, subject to legal obligations
  • Withdraw consent for data processing at any time

To exercise these rights, contact our Grievance Officer (Section 13).

  1. Children’s Privacy

In accordance with the DPDP Act, 2023, we do not knowingly collect personal data from individuals under 18 years of age without verifiable consent from a parent or legal guardian. If we learn that a child’s data has been collected without such consent, we will delete it promptly.

  1. Links to Third-Party Sites

Our articles may link to external websites for reference. These sites are not governed by this Privacy Policy, and we are not responsible for their content or privacy practices.

  1. Grievance Officer

In accordance with the Information Technology Act, 2000 and rules made thereunder, the contact details of the Grievance Officer are provided below:

Name: Currently Editor, Email: info[at]voiceofsikkim.com Address: Pakyong, New Market, Sikkim, India

We aim to acknowledge grievances within 10 days and resolve them within 30 days, as may be required under applicable law.

  1. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of India. Any disputes arising from this policy shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts in Sikkim.

  1. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this policy to reflect legal or technological changes. Updates take effect upon posting, and the “Effective Date” will be revised accordingly. Please review this page periodically.

  1. Contact Us

Email: info[at]voiceofsikkim.com Address: Pakyong District, Sikkim, India

By continuing to use www.voiceofsikkim.com, you agree to the terms outlined in this Privacy Policy.