Privacy Policy
Dharma Watch is committed to protecting the privacy of incident reporters, witnesses, and all users of this platform. This policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, and the protections we have in place — particularly for those submitting sensitive information.
1. Information We Collect
Incident Submissions
When you submit an incident report, we collect the information you voluntarily provide: incident details (date, location, type, description), supporting source URLs or uploaded evidence files, and optionally your name and email address. Anonymous submissions are accepted and your identity is never required.
Contact Form Submissions
When you contact us through our contact page, we collect your name (optional), email address, and the content of your message.
Automatically Collected Data
We collect standard server log data including IP addresses, browser type, referring URLs, and pages visited. This data is used solely for security monitoring and aggregate analytics. We do not use third-party advertising trackers.
Cookies
We use only essential cookies required for the site to function (session management, security tokens). We do not use advertising cookies, cross-site tracking cookies, or sell any data to third parties.
2. How We Use Your Information
Incident Documentation
Submitted incident data is reviewed by our verification team and, if verified, may be published in anonymized or attributed form depending on your submission preferences. Personal contact information provided with a submission is never published.
Communications
If you provide an email address, we may contact you to follow up on your submission for verification purposes, or to respond to your inquiry. We do not send unsolicited marketing emails.
Research & Reporting
Aggregated, de-identified incident data is used to produce our public reports, trend analyses, and statistics. No individual is identifiable in published aggregate data.
Platform Security
Log data is used to detect and prevent abuse, spam submissions, and unauthorized access attempts.
3. Data Sharing & Disclosure
We Do Not Sell Your Data
Dharma Watch does not sell, rent, or trade personal information to any third party under any circumstances.
Research Partners
We may share de-identified, aggregated incident datasets with vetted academic researchers, human rights organizations, and journalists under data-sharing agreements that prohibit re-identification. Raw personal data is never shared.
Legal Requirements
We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or to protect the safety of individuals. We will notify affected users of such requests to the extent legally permissible.
Service Providers
We use a limited number of trusted service providers (hosting, email delivery) who process data solely on our behalf under strict data processing agreements.
4. Data Retention & Security
Retention Periods
Published incident records are retained indefinitely as part of the historical record. Unverified or rejected submissions are deleted within 90 days. Contact form messages are retained for 12 months then deleted. Server logs are retained for 30 days.
Security Measures
All data is transmitted over TLS-encrypted connections. Uploaded evidence files are stored in access-controlled private storage. Access to personal data is restricted to authorized staff on a need-to-know basis.
Data Breach Notification
In the event of a data breach affecting personal information, we will notify affected individuals within 72 hours of becoming aware of the breach, in accordance with applicable law.
5. Your Rights
Access & Correction
You may request a copy of personal data we hold about you, or request corrections to inaccurate data, by contacting us at [email protected].
Deletion
You may request deletion of your personal data at any time. We will comply within 30 days, except where retention is required by law or where the data has already been incorporated into anonymized published records.
Withdrawal of Consent
If you provided an email address with a submission, you may request that we no longer contact you for follow-up purposes. This does not affect the publication of the incident record itself.
Complaints
If you believe we have handled your data improperly, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority in your jurisdiction.
6. Source & Witness Protection
Anonymous Submissions
We strongly encourage anonymous submissions when personal safety is a concern. Anonymous submissions are processed identically to attributed ones. We do not log IP addresses associated with anonymous submissions.
Confidential Sources
If you contact us as a confidential source, we treat your identity with the same protections afforded to journalistic sources. We will not disclose your identity without your explicit consent, except under direct legal compulsion.
Evidence Files
Uploaded evidence files (photos, documents, screenshots) are stored in private encrypted storage and are never published without your explicit permission. Metadata (EXIF data, document properties) is stripped before any publication.
7. Contact Us
For any privacy-related questions, data access requests, deletion requests, or concerns about how we handle your information, please contact us:
[email protected]We aim to respond to all privacy-related requests within 14 business days.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be noted at the top of this page with a revised "Last updated" date. Continued use of the platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.