Privacy Policy

At LIVE PALAKKAD ("we", "us", "our", or "Live Palakkad"), accessible from palakkadlive.com, the privacy and trust of our readers, subscribers, contributors, and international visitors is of paramount importance. This comprehensive Privacy Policy explains the nature of information we collect, how we securely store and process it, our advertising partnerships, and your legal rights concerning your personal data.

1. Scope of This Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to all digital platforms owned and operated by Live Palakkad Media Network, including our website (palakkadlive.com), mobile-optimized web views, RSS feeds, multimedia galleries, newsletter dispatches, breaking news alert channels, and official editorial communication channels. It does not apply to third-party services, external websites, or social platforms linked from our stories.

2. Information We Collect

Depending on how you interact with Live Palakkad, we may process different categories of information:

• Technical & Log Data (Automatically Collected): When you access our portal, our web servers automatically record standardized diagnostic log data sent by your browser, including your Internet Protocol (IP) address, operating system, browser type and version, device identifier, screen resolution, referring website URLs, pages visited, dwell time, and date/time timestamps. This data is aggregated and does not identify you personally.
• Voluntary Communications & Submissions: When you send news tips, report factual inaccuracies, email our editorial desk, or submit feedback, we collect your name, email address, telephone number (if provided), and the content of your communication to investigate and respond to your query.
• Reader Authentication & Subscription Data (Google Sign-In & Email OTP): When you create an account or sign in to receive news articles in your inbox, we collect your email address, display name, and public profile photo URL (if authenticated via Google Sign-In). If you sign in via email OTP, temporary 6-digit verification codes are generated solely to verify mailbox ownership and are automatically purged upon verification.
• User Interface Preferences: We store anonymous preference identifiers in your browser's local storage to preserve your chosen website theme (Dark Mode / Light Mode) across browsing sessions without creating a persistent tracking profile.

3. Google Sign-In, Gmail Services & Newsletter Delivery

Live Palakkad provides reader authentication and automated digital news delivery via Google Sign-In and standard email verification. We maintain strict compliance with Google's API Services User Data Policy:

• Google API User Data Policy Compliance (Limited Use): Live Palakkad's use and transfer of information received from Google APIs to any other app will adhere to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.
• Information Accessed via Google: When you choose "Continue with Google", we access only your basic, public profile information: your verified email address, your display name, and your profile picture. We do not request, access, read, or store your Google account password, Google Drive files, Gmail inbox messages, contacts, or calendar data.
• Purpose of Data Processing: Data obtained via Google or Gmail is utilized exclusively to:
  • Authenticate and maintain your secure reader account across visits.
  • Deliver requested Palakkad news updates and top editorial stories directly to your inbox.
  • Personalize your reader interface (such as greeting you by name and displaying your profile picture in the header).
• Zero Data Monetization & No AI Training: We do not sell, rent, lease, or disclose reader personal data or Google user information to third-party data brokers, marketing agencies, or advertising exchanges under any circumstances. User data is never used to train, evaluate, or fine-tune Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Learning (ML) models.
• Official Email Dispatches:
  • Verification & Account Services: Sent exclusively from contact@livepalakkad.com (Live Palakkad Support) for 6-digit OTP verification and security notices.
  • News Delivery & Editorial Digests: Sent exclusively from news@livepalakkad.com (Live Palakkad News) for top headlines, breaking alerts, and regional stories.
• Unsubscribe & Data Erasure Rights: Every news email sent from news@livepalakkad.com includes an immediate, 1-click unsubscribe link directing to our dedicated Unsubscribe Management Page. Google users can also revoke Live Palakkad's permissions at any time through Google Account Security Settings. You may request permanent deletion of your account and email records by contacting contact@livepalakkad.com.

4. How We Use Collected Information

The information collected is used exclusively for legitimate journalistic, technical, and operational purposes:

• To deliver news articles, multimedia galleries, and breaking updates with high speed, security, and maximum uptime.
• To dispatch authorized news digests and verification codes to subscribed readers.
• To safeguard our digital infrastructure against malicious traffic, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, brute-force exploits, and automated scraping bots.
• To analyze aggregated readership trends, popular news sections, and regional readership interest across Palakkad taluks to improve editorial coverage.
• To communicate with readers regarding verified news tips, correction inquiries, or editorial clarifications.
• To comply with applicable laws, judicial orders, and directives issued by authorized law enforcement agencies under Indian law.

5. Cookie Policy & Tracking Technologies

Cookies are small text files stored on your device that enable websites to recognize your device across visits:

• Essential Cookies: Critical for website functionality, load balancing, server routing, and security. These cannot be disabled without affecting site availability.
• Functional Storage: Used to remember your interface preferences, such as Dark Mode toggles and audio/video player volume states.
• Analytical & Performance Cookies: Used by aggregated analytics tools to understand visitor volumes, bounce rates, and reading durations without profiling individual identities.

You can configure your browser settings to reject cookies or notify you when cookies are being sent. Note that disabling essential cookies may impact certain interactive features of our portal.

5. Third-Party Advertising & Google AdSense Disclosures

Live Palakkad partners with reputable third-party advertising networks, including Google AdSense, to display commercial advertisements that support our free newsroom operations:

• Google and third-party vendors use cookies (such as the Google DoubleClick cookie) to serve ads based on your prior visits to Live Palakkad and other sites across the internet.
• These advertising partners may collect non-personally identifiable technical information (such as IP address, geolocation estimates, and browser type) to measure advertising effectiveness and deliver relevant sponsored content.
• Opting Out: Readers may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings or through the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out portal.

6. Web Push Notifications & Breaking News Alerts

We may provide optional browser-level Web Push Notifications to deliver breaking news and emergency district advisories:

• Explicit Consent: Web push notifications are activated only when you explicitly click "Allow" on your browser's prompt. We never activate notifications without affirmative consent.
• Anonymous Subscription Tokens: The notification service uses an anonymous push token generated by your browser. No personal identifiable information (such as your name, email, or telephone number) is associated with this token.
• Revoking Permission: You can turn off push alerts at any time through your browser's settings under "Privacy & Security" → "Site Settings" → "Notifications".

7. Embedded Content From External Platforms

Articles on Live Palakkad may include embedded multimedia content (such as YouTube videos, Facebook reels, X tweets, Instagram posts, or audio clips). Embedded content from third-party websites behaves in the exact same manner as if the reader visited the third-party website directly. These external services may collect data about you, use cookies, and monitor your interaction with the embedded content if you have an active account logged into their platform.

8. Data Security & Retention Safeguards

We implement industry-standard security safeguards to protect data from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction:

• All web traffic is encrypted using modern 256-bit SSL/TLS (HTTPS) encryption protocols.
• Our servers are protected behind managed Web Application Firewalls (WAF), rate limiting, and automated security intrusion detection systems.
• We do not sell, rent, trade, or monetize our readers' personal data under any circumstances.
• Routine server log data is automatically purged on a rolling 90-day retention schedule unless required for security investigations.

9. International Readers & Global Malayali Diaspora Privacy

Live Palakkad is widely read by the global Malayali community across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC—UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain), the United Kingdom, the European Union, the United States, and Canada:

• If you access our website from outside India, your information will be processed and stored on secure servers maintained in compliant cloud environments.
• We ensure that cross-border data transfers adhere to adequate data protection safeguards recognized by international privacy frameworks, including the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and UK GDPR principles.

10. Do Not Track (DNT) & Global Privacy Control (GPC)

Live Palakkad respects browser privacy preferences. When your browser transmits a "Do Not Track" (DNT) header or a "Global Privacy Control" (GPC) signal, our site respects this instruction by limiting analytics collection and preventing third-party cross-site behavioural fingerprinting.

11. Children's Privacy Protection

Live Palakkad is a general-audience digital news service. We do not knowingly solicit, collect, or process personal data from children under the age of 13. If a parent or guardian becomes aware that a child has provided us with personal information without parental consent, please contact us immediately, and we will delete the information from our records promptly.

12. Data Breach Incident Response Protocol

In the highly improbable event of a security incident affecting our systems:

• Our technical and security teams will initiate immediate containment and digital forensic protocols.
• We will notify the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) and relevant regulatory bodies within statutory deadlines.
• Where required by the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, we will communicate details of the incident to affected users without undue delay, outlining remedial actions taken.

13. Your Legal Rights & Data Choices

Under the Indian Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act and recognized international standards, you have the right to:

• Request confirmation of whether we process any personal data relating to you.
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal records in our possession.
• Request erasure of personal information, subject to statutory retention obligations for journalistic archives.
• Withdraw previously granted consent for non-essential data processing.

14. Policy Updates & Historical Revisions

We may periodically update this Privacy Policy to reflect changing legal mandates, regulatory guidelines, or technological enhancements. When modifications are made, the "Last Updated" date at the top will be refreshed. For significant changes, we will display a prominent notice on our homepage.

15. Grievance Redressal & Privacy Officer Contact

In compliance with the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, and the Digital Personal Data Protection framework, the details of our designated Grievance Officer are as follows: