Privacy Policy

Introduction

At MeroSewak, we are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share your data when you use our voting education and community engagement platform.

By using MeroSewak, you agree to the practices described in this policy. We encourage you to read this document carefully to understand how we handle your information.

1. Information You Provide

• Account Information: Name, email address, phone number, and password when you register
• Profile Data: Optional profile photo, location/constituency, and preferences
• Community Posts: Content you share, including text, images, and videos
• Interactions: Likes, reactions, comments, and shares on candidate profiles and posts. These interactions are non-binding, do not represent official votes, and are intended solely for public discussion and civic engagement.
• Candidate Submissions: Information submitted through our candidate registration form

2. Automatically Collected Information

• Device Information: Device type, operating system, unique device identifiers
• Usage Data: Features used, time spent, pages viewed, and navigation patterns
• Location Data: Approximate location based on IP address (with your consent for precise location)
• Log Data: IP address, browser type, access times, and referring URLs

3. Information from Third Parties

• Social Media: If you sign up using social media accounts (Google, Facebook), we receive basic profile information
• Public Records: Candidate information is sourced from publicly available government and election commission records and is presented without modification, endorsement, or political affiliation.

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

Data Storage

• Data is stored on secure cloud servers with industry-standard encryption
• Servers are located in secure data centers with 24/7 monitoring
• We maintain regular backups to prevent data loss
• Data is retained only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this policy

Security Measures

• Encryption: All data transmitted between your device and our servers is encrypted using SSL/TLS
• Password Security: Passwords are hashed and salted using industry-standard algorithms
• Access Controls: Strict internal access controls limit who can view your data
• Regular Audits: We conduct security audits and vulnerability assessments
• Monitoring: Continuous monitoring for suspicious activity and unauthorized access

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your data only in the following circumstances:

1. With Your Consent

When you explicitly agree to share information (e.g., posting publicly on the community feed)

2. Service Providers

We work with trusted third-party service providers who help us operate our platform:

• Cloud hosting providers (AWS, Google Cloud, etc.)
• Analytics services (to understand usage patterns)
• Email service providers (for account and notification emails)
• Payment processors (if applicable for premium features)

These providers are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only for specified purposes.

3. Legal Requirements

When required by law, court order, or government request, or to protect rights and safety

4. Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your data may be transferred (you will be notified)

5. Aggregated Data

We may share anonymized, aggregated statistics that cannot identify individuals (e.g., "70% of users support environmental policies")

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@merosewak.com

Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience:

• Essential Cookies: Required for the platform to function (login sessions, security)
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how you use the app to improve it
• Preference Cookies: Remember your settings and preferences
• Advertising Cookies: We do not currently use advertising cookies or third-party ad tracking technologies.

You can control cookies through your browser settings, though disabling essential cookies may affect functionality.

Children's Privacy

MeroSewak is intended for users aged 18 and above. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 18, please contact us immediately at privacy@merosewak.com, and we will delete it promptly.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal reasons. When we make significant changes, we will:

• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page
• Notify you via email or in-app notification
• Request your consent if required by law

We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your data.