Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Truthflare (“we”, “us”, “our”) is operated by Siddharth Singh, an individual based in India (“Data Fiduciary” under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023). This Privacy Policy explains what personal data we collect from users of the Truthflare mobile application (“App”), why we collect it, how we use, store, and protect it, and the rights you have over it.

This policy applies to all users of the App: Free Users, Verified Citizens, and Channels.

By using the App, you agree to the collection and use of your data as described in this Privacy Policy.

2. User Types

The App offers three account types:

• Free User — anonymous account with email verification. Can view, like, comment, share, bookmark, and interact with content, but cannot create original posts.
• Verified Citizen — an individual user with an active paid subscription who has completed identity verification (KYC). Can do everything a Free User can, plus create original posts. Their verified real name is displayed on their profile.
• Channel — a registered channel representing a business or organization that has completed business verification (KYB). Has the same posting abilities as a Verified Citizen, but posts under the Channel’s identity.

3. Data We Collect

3.1 Account & Identity Data

• Email address — collected from every user and verified via OTP at signup.
• Mobile number — optional, for all user types.
• Verified real name — collected only for Verified Citizens and Channels after successful identity verification. We do not store your ID images, face images, or liveness-check data.

3.2 Onboarding Preference Data

During signup, you may optionally select:

• Gender
• Age bracket
• City
• Sector(s) of interest
• Marital status

Every field includes a “Prefer not to say” option. This data is used to improve content personalization within the App and is never sold or shared with third parties outside Truthflare.

3.3 Behavioral & Interaction Data

Truthflare is designed around personalization. We analyze your in-app activity to understand your interests and show you content you care about. This includes: views, upvotes, downvotes, comments, shares, bookmarks, and “echoes” (reposts). This applies to all users, including Free/anonymous users.

This is central to how Truthflare works. The better we understand what you're interested in, the better your experience becomes. It's the difference between a personalized feed and a generic one-size-fits-all feed.

How We Use This Data:

• To understand your interests and preferences
• To show you content recommendations tailored to you
• To continuously improve the algorithm and your feed quality
• To show you content you're more likely to find valuable
• Potentially for future in-app personalized advertising (you will be notified separately before this launches)

Your Privacy: This data is stored only within Truthflare systems. It is NOT shared with external advertisers, ad networks, data brokers, or third-party companies for any reason.

Your Control: You have full visibility into your data. View your activity history anytime in Settings → My Activity. You can delete your activity history whenever you want, which resets your personalized recommendations.

Your Consent: By using Truthflare, you agree to this personalization approach. It's built into how the platform works. If personalization isn’t your preference, there are other platforms with generic feeds that might work better for you.

3.4 Payment & Subscription Data

Subscription payments are processed entirely by Apple App Store or Google Play Store. We never receive or store your payment card, bank, or billing details. We only receive and store:

• A transaction/subscription identifier
• The date your subscription became active
• Your current subscription status (active/expired/cancelled)

Truthflare does NOT process payments and is NOT a payment service provider. All payment processing is delegated entirely to Apple/Google.

3.5 Identity Verification (KYC/KYB) Data

Verified Citizens and Channels must complete identity/business verification through a third-party verification provider. This includes uploading ID and completing a liveness check with face-match verification.

Important: Truthflare’s backend never receives or stores your ID document images, face images, or liveness-check data. We receive only:

1. The verification result (passed/failed)
2. Your verified real name (only if verification passed)

The third-party verification provider retains images and biometric data temporarily before permanent deletion. Verification data is held for a limited time, after which it is permanently purged.

What You Should Know About Verification: While we work with reputable verification providers, verification is not foolproof. Truthflare makes NO WARRANTY that a verified badge means the person is who they claim to be. A verified badge indicates only that the account passed our verification process.

Truthflare is NOT liable for:

• False or fraudulent verified accounts
• Impersonation by verified users
• Defamation, fraud, or harm caused by verified user content
• Verification provider failures

Removal of Verification: We may revoke verified status at our discretion if we believe verification is false or the account is misused.

3.6 Device & Session Data

We collect device information (device type, identifiers, approximate location/IP-derived region, login timestamps) to manage active sessions and prevent unauthorized access. You can view all devices currently logged into your account in Settings → Sessions and revoke any session anytime.

3.7 Technical Data

Standard technical data such as IP address, app version, and crash/error logs are collected for security, fraud prevention, and service reliability.

4. Public vs. Private Data

Content you post, comment on, like, share, or otherwise make visible within the App (posts, comments, public profile name/handle) is treated as public data. This is created for the purpose of being shared and viewed by other users.

Personal data as described in Sections 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, and 3.6 is treated as private data and is not made public or sold.

5. How We Store and Secure Your Data

• Our infrastructure (application backend, cache, and database) is hosted with reputable cloud service providers, with all storage and processing located within India.
• Content delivery and network security (including web application firewall and DDoS protection) are provided by reputable content delivery and security providers.
• Data is encrypted at rest, and sensitive fields are hashed where retrieval is not required.
• Data in transit is secured using TLS 1.2/1.3.
• Our domain uses a valid SSL certificate.
• We maintain appropriate data protection agreements with all third-party service providers that process user data on our behalf.

6. Third-Party Service Providers

We share limited data only with service providers necessary to operate the App, under contractual data-protection terms:

We do not sell your personal data to any third party, and we do not share it with advertisers or data brokers outside Truthflare.

7. Data Retention

• Account and profile data is retained as long as your account is active, and deleted immediately after account deletion.
• Identity verification data is retained by the third-party service temporarily for upto 60 days before permanent deletion.
• Session/device data is retained to support account security and is visible and revocable by you anytime.
• Deleted or reported content may be retained for investigation purposes for up to 90 days.

8. Advertising & Future Data Uses

We currently use your onboarding preferences and behavioral data to personalize content recommendations within the App.

Future Advertising: We plan to introduce personalized advertising within the App in the future, using onboarding preference data only (not behavioral data). Any advertising will be served only within the Truthflare App, and behavioral data will NOT be shared with external advertisers.

New Uses: If we intend to use your data for purposes beyond current uses, we will notify you at least 60 days in advance, explain the new use clearly, and obtain your affirmative consent before implementing it.

9. Purpose Limitation & What We Will NEVER Do

Truthflare Will NEVER:

• Sell personal data to third parties
• Share data with advertisers or data brokers
• Use data for political targeting or surveillance
• Use data for insurance/credit decisions
• Build profiles about you outside the App
• Share data with government without legal process
• Transfer your personal data outside India without legal authorization

10. Data Breach Notification

If we become aware of a security breach that compromises your personal data, we will:

• Notify you within 72 hours of discovery
• Notify Indian data protection authorities as required by law
• Describe the types of data compromised
• Explain steps we're taking to secure data
• Provide recommended actions to protect yourself

11. Your Rights

As a Data Principal under the DPDP Act, 2023, you have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you
• Correct or update inaccurate or incomplete data
• Request erasure of your personal data, subject to legal retention requirements
• Grievance redressal — raise a complaint about how your data is handled

12. Children’s Data

Truthflare is not directed at, and is not intended for use by, individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors. If we become aware that a minor’s data has been collected, we will take steps to delete it.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy. Material changes will be notified to you via in-app alert and email at least 30 days before taking effect. You must affirmatively accept changes to continue using the App. If you do not accept, you may delete your account, and your data will be deleted per Section 7.

14. Grievance Officer & Contact

For data privacy concerns and grievances under the DPDP Act, 2023:

For any questions about this Privacy Policy or your data, contact us at grievance@truthflare.in.