Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

BhoomiScan ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website www.bhoomiscan.in and use our services. This policy is compliant with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act) of India and other applicable laws.

By accessing or using our platform, you consent to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree with the terms of this privacy policy, please do not access the platform.

2. Definitions

• "Personal Data" means any data about an individual who is identifiable by or in relation to such data.
• "Data Principal" means the individual to whom the personal data relates (you, the user).
• "Data Fiduciary" means BhoomiScan, which determines the purpose and means of processing personal data.
• "Processing" includes collection, storage, use, sharing, and deletion of personal data.
• "Consent" means free, specific, informed, unconditional, and unambiguous indication of your wishes.

3. Information We Collect

3.1 Information You Provide Directly

• Account Information: Name, email address, and password when you create an account.
• Property Listing Information: Property details, location, area, price, images, and legal documents you upload.
• Identity Verification: Aadhaar number (last 4 digits only), PAN details, and other KYC information for verification purposes.
• Communication Data: Messages, inquiries, and correspondence with us or other users.
• Payment Information: Billing address, transaction details (processed securely via third-party payment gateways).

3.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Device Information: IP address, browser type, operating system, device identifiers.
• Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent, click patterns, search queries, and navigation paths.
• Location Data: Approximate location based on IP address (precise location only with explicit consent).
• Cookies and Similar Technologies: Session cookies, analytics cookies, and preference cookies.

3.3 Information from Third Parties

• Government Databases: Land records from Bhulekh, revenue department records (with your consent).
• Social Login: Basic profile information if you sign in with Google.
• DigiLocker: Documents you choose to share for verification purposes.

4. Purpose of Data Collection

We process your personal data for the following lawful purposes:

• Service Delivery: To provide, maintain, and improve our property listing and verification services.
• Identity Verification: To verify property ownership and prevent fraud.
• Communication: To send service-related notifications, updates, and respond to inquiries.
• Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes.
• Security: To detect, prevent, and address fraud, security breaches, and technical issues.
• Analytics: To analyze usage patterns and improve user experience.
• Marketing: To send promotional communications (only with your explicit consent).

5. Legal Basis for Processing

Under the DPDP Act, 2023, we process your data based on:

• Consent: For account creation, property listing, verification services, and marketing communications.
• Legitimate Uses: For fraud prevention, security, and service improvement.
• Legal Obligation: For compliance with tax laws, court orders, and regulatory requirements.
• Contractual Necessity: For fulfilling our service agreement with you.

6. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We may share your personal data with:

6.1 Service Providers

• Cloud hosting providers (for data storage)
• Payment processors (for transaction processing)
• Analytics providers (for service improvement)
• Email service providers (for communications)

6.2 Government Authorities

• When required by law, court order, or government request
• For verification with land revenue departments
• To comply with regulatory requirements

6.3 Other Users

• Property listing information is publicly visible
• Contact details shared only upon inquiry (with your consent)

We do NOT sell your personal data to third parties for marketing purposes.

7. Data Storage and Security

• Storage Location: Your data is stored on secure servers with industry-standard encryption.
• Encryption: All data in transit is encrypted using TLS 1.3. Sensitive data at rest is encrypted using AES-256.
• Access Controls: Strict role-based access controls limit who can access your data.
• Security Audits: Regular security assessments and vulnerability testing.
• Incident Response: Established procedures for data breach notification as per DPDP Act requirements.

7.1 Data Breach Notification Procedure

In compliance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, we maintain the following breach notification procedures:

• Detection and Assessment: All suspected breaches are immediately assessed for severity and scope.
• User Notification: If a breach is likely to cause harm to you, we will notify you within 72 hours of discovery, including:
  • Nature of the breach
  • Types of data affected
  • Steps you should take to protect yourself
  • Our remediation measures
• Regulatory Notification: We will notify the Data Protection Board of India as required by law.
• Breach Register: All breaches are recorded in an internal register for audit and compliance purposes.
• Post-Incident Review: We conduct thorough reviews to prevent recurrence.

To report a suspected breach, contact us immediately at contactbhoomiscan@gmail.com.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for:

• Active Accounts: As long as your account is active and you use our services.
• Post-Deletion: Up to 90 days after account deletion for backup and legal purposes.
• Legal Requirements: As required by applicable laws (typically 7 years for financial records under Income Tax Act).
• Anonymized Data: Aggregated, anonymized data may be retained indefinitely for analytics.

9. Your Rights Under DPDP Act, 2023

As a Data Principal, you have the following rights:

• Right to Access: Request a summary of your personal data and processing activities.
• Right to Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
• Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data (subject to legal retention requirements).
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time (this does not affect prior lawful processing).
• Right to Grievance Redressal: Lodge complaints with our Grievance Officer or the Data Protection Board.
• Right to Nominate: Nominate another individual to exercise your rights in case of death or incapacity.

To exercise these rights, contact our Grievance Officer at contactbhoomiscan@gmail.com.

10. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

In compliance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, we implement a consent-based approach to cookies and tracking technologies.

10.1 Cookie Consent

When you first visit our platform, you will see a cookie consent banner. Non-essential cookies and tracking technologies are blocked by default until you provide explicit consent. You can:

• Accept All: Enable all cookies including analytics and marketing.
• Manage Preferences: Choose which categories of cookies to enable.
• Reject Non-Essential: Only essential cookies will be used.

Your consent preferences are stored locally on your device and can be changed at any time by clearing your browser data or using our preference management options.

10.2 Categories of Cookies

• Essential Cookies (Always Active): Required for platform functionality including authentication, session management, security features, and error tracking (Sentry). These cannot be disabled as they are necessary for the platform to operate.
• Analytics Cookies (Requires Consent): Help us understand how users interact with our platform, identify issues, and improve user experience. We use:
  • Google Analytics 4 (GA4) - For traffic analysis and user behavior
  • PostHog - For product analytics and feature usage
  • Microsoft Clarity - For session recordings and heatmaps
• Marketing Cookies (Requires Consent): Used for advertising and remarketing purposes. Currently minimal; will notify if expanded.

10.3 Managing Your Preferences

You can manage cookie preferences through:

• Our cookie consent banner (appears on first visit)
• Clearing your browser's local storage to reset preferences
• Your browser's cookie settings (note: this may affect all websites)
• Browser extensions like Privacy Badger or uBlock Origin

Disabling analytics cookies will not affect your ability to use BhoomiScan's core features. However, it limits our ability to improve the platform based on usage patterns.

11. Children's Privacy

Our services are not intended for individuals under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child without parental consent, we will take steps to delete such information. As per the DPDP Act, processing of children's data requires verifiable parental consent.

12. Cross-Border Data Transfer

Your data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside India where our service providers operate. Such transfers are made in compliance with the DPDP Act and only to countries or entities that provide adequate data protection. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for such transfers.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date. For significant changes, we will provide notice through email or a prominent notice on our platform. Your continued use of the platform after such modifications constitutes your acknowledgment and acceptance of the updated policy.

14. Grievance Officer

In accordance with the DPDP Act, 2023 and Information Technology Act, 2000, the details of our Grievance Officer are:

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us:

• Email: contactbhoomiscan@gmail.com
• Address: Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India