Privacy Policy for GitaQnA

Last Updated: March 16, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how the GitaQnA website Widget (“Widget”) collects, uses, and protects your personal data. We are committed to safeguarding your privacy in full compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) as amended by the CPRA, and other privacy standards.

1. Information We Collect

A. Information You Provide Voluntarily

When you use the Widget, you may provide us with information directly:

  • Profile Data: Name, DOB, City, WhatsApp number, Email address
  • Journal Entries: Reflections, action items, and personal thoughts entered into your Journal.
  • Chat Data: Messages, questions, and context shared within the Chats, including the “Private Chat” feature.
  • Opt-In Preferences: Your explicit consent records and communication preferences.

B. Automatically Collected Information

  • Technical Data: IP address (anonymized where required), browser type, device information, and interaction metrics with the Widget elements (such as the Knowledge Graph).

2. Special Category Data and Spiritual Beliefs

Because the Widget provides spiritual guidance based on the Bhagavad Gita, information you share in the Journal or Private Chat may be considered “special category data” (e.g., religious or philosophical beliefs) under the GDPR and “sensitive personal information” under the CCPA/CPRA.

  • We only process this sensitive data with your explicit, opt-in consent.
  • This data is processed strictly to provide you with tailored spiritual insights and is never used for targeted advertising or sold to third parties.

3. The Private Chat Feature and AI Disclosures

The “Private Chat” feature allows you to explore spiritual questions interactively.

  • AI Interaction Disclosure: Please note that responses in the Private Chat are generated by an Artificial Intelligence (AI) companion utilizing our curated knowledge graph, not a human representative, unless explicitly stated otherwise.
  • Data Storage and Security: Your private chats and journal entries are securely transmitted and stored within our database. While they are not end-to-end encrypted on the application level, access is strictly limited to authorized administrators and the automated systems processing your requests.
  • Data Minimization: AI chats are processed to generate immediate responses. We do not use your private chat transcripts to train foundational AI models.

4. How We Use your Information

We use your data solely to:

  • Operate and provide the core functions of the Widget (Knowledge Graph, Private Chat, and Journal).
  • Ensure the security and integrity of the Widget.
  • Comply with legal obligations.

5. Automated Decision-Making Technology (ADMT)

Our Private Chat relies on ADMT to parse your questions and retrieve spiritual passages. These systems do not make “significant decisions” (such as legal or financial determinations) about you. You maintain the right to understand how this AI functions and may opt out of using the Chat feature at any time without losing access to the static sections of the Widget.

6. Children’s Privacy

The Widget is not intended for use by children under the age of 16 without explicit parental consent. In compliance with 2026 youth-protection frameworks (such as COPPA and California SB 243 for AI chatbots):

  • We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors under 16 without verifiable consent.
  • If we learn we have collected such data inadvertently, we will delete it promptly.

7. Your Data Privacy Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction (e.g., EU, UK, California, Texas, Virginia), you possess fundamental rights regarding your data:

  • Right to Access & Portability: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
  • Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate data.
  • Right to Erasure (Right to be Forgotten): Request the deletion of your Journal entries, Chat history, and associated account data.
  • Right to Withdraw Consent: You may withdraw your consent for us to process your sensitive spiritual data at any time through the Widget settings.
  • Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not deny you services for exercising these rights.

8. Data Security and Retention

We implement robust technical and organizational measures to protect against unauthorized access or breaches, including securing data at rest through our database infrastructure provider’s native encryption. We retain your personal data—including chat histories, AI interaction metadata (such as token usage and latency), and journal entries—only as long as necessary to provide the requested services or until you request deletion.

9. Third-Party Service Providers

We may employ third-party cloud infrastructure and specialized AI processors to operate the Widget. These vendors are strictly bound by Data Processing Agreements (DPAs) that mandate compliance with GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, and this Privacy Policy. They are prohibited from utilizing your personal data for their own purposes.

10. Contact Us

To exercise your privacy rights, or if you have questions regarding this Privacy Policy or our AI practices, please contact the Data Protection Officer (DPO) of the host ISKCON temple or email us directly at [Insert Privacy Email Address].

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