Privacy Policy

Who we are (data controller)

SOS Global Indians ("SOSGI", "we") operates this information platform for Indians and NRIs, currently serving the United States. SOSGI is the data controller for personal information collected here. Questions or requests about this policy? Contact us through the Get Help form or email contactus@sosgiofficial.com.

What we collect

• Newsletter signups: your email address, collected only when you opt in. Every email includes an unsubscribe option.
• Reader accounts: if you sign in, your email address, optional name and preferred city. Sign-in is verified by a one-time email code; codes are stored only in hashed form and expire within minutes. We never collect or store passwords.
• Saved articles & preferences: bookmarks you save are stored in our database with your verified account so they sync across your devices (a copy is also cached in your browser for speed). Remove any item on the Saved page at any time; signing out clears the local copy on that device, and you can request full deletion of your saved data.
• Business directory submissions: the business contact details and content you choose to publish.
• Advertising inquiries and contact/help requests: the details you submit.
• Analytics: if you consent via our cookie banner, we use Google Analytics with IP anonymization to understand how the platform is used (pages visited, returning visits, general region). If you choose "Essential only," no analytics cookies are set.

We do not collect passwords or payment card details, and we do not buy data about you from third parties.

Where your data lives, and who owns it

Platform data is stored in our database hosted by Supabase on Amazon Web Services infrastructure in the United States (N. Virginia region). Our website is served by Vercel. These providers process data on our behalf under their own security and privacy commitments; they do not own your data and may not use it for their own purposes. Content you submit (business profiles) remains yours — you grant SOSGI a license to display it on the platform. You may request removal at any time.

How we use your information

• To operate the platform: publishing business profiles as you direct and responding to your inquiries.
• To send The Weekly Brief newsletter and platform updates to opted-in subscribers. Unsubscribe any time via the link in any email or by replying.
• To tell you about community events, partner offers and sponsors relevant to the Indian community — including through email campaigns and matched audiences on advertising platforms (such as Meta and Google), where permitted by those platforms' terms.
• To moderate submitted content and keep the platform safe.

Help requests are special. Information submitted through the Get Help form is used only to connect you with support. It is never used for marketing, advertising or audience building, and is visible only to platform administrators.

First-party data and your opt-in

Everything we know about you comes directly from you — this is "first-party data." We collect it only when you take an action that provides it: subscribing to the newsletter, creating a reader account, saving an article, or submitting a form. Two opt-ins are always explicit and separate:

• Newsletter (double opt-in): you receive The Weekly Brief only if you enter your email in the newsletter form and confirm through the verification email we send. Unconfirmed addresses are never mailed. Every email contains a working one-click unsubscribe link, and unsubscribing takes effect promptly.
• Analytics cookies: set only if you choose "Accept" on our consent banner; choosing "Essential only" keeps the site fully usable with no analytics.

Creating a reader account does not subscribe you to the newsletter, and subscribing to the newsletter does not create an account. We never pre-tick consent boxes.

Affiliate links

Some articles include affiliate links to products or services from well-known brands. If you click one and make a purchase or sign-up, SOSGI may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Articles containing affiliate links carry a clear disclosure. The merchant — not SOSGI — processes any purchase and handles your data under its own privacy policy. Our editorial guidance is not changed by affiliate relationships, and we do not pass your personal information to merchants.

Cookies and advertising

We ask for your consent before setting any non-essential cookies. We display sponsorships and advertisements to support the platform. If third-party ad services (such as Google AdSense) become active, they may use cookies to show ads based on your visits to this and other sites; you can manage personalized Google advertising at adssettings.google.com. We will update this policy and our consent banner before any such service goes live.

Sharing

We do not sell your personal information, and we have not sold or shared personal information as those terms are defined under US state privacy laws. We share information only with the service providers that host and operate the platform, with advertising platforms solely as described above, or when required by law. Business profiles you choose to publish are visible to the public by design.

Your rights

Depending on where you live — including under the EU/UK GDPR, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA), the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act, and similar US state laws — you may have the right to:

• Know what personal information we hold about you, and receive a copy (access / portability);
• Correct inaccurate information;
• Delete your information ("right to be forgotten");
• Opt out of targeted advertising, and of any sale or sharing of personal information (we do not sell);
• Withdraw consent (e.g., analytics cookies, newsletter) at any time without affecting your use of the platform;
• Not be discriminated against for exercising any of these rights.

To exercise any right, use the Get Help form with the subject "Privacy request." We respond within the timelines required by the applicable law (typically 30–45 days), and we honor requests regardless of whether a specific statute technically applies to us.

Retention and security

We retain personal information only as long as needed for the purposes above or as required by law, and delete it on verified request. Access to submitted data is restricted to platform administrators; verification codes are stored hashed and short-lived; and all traffic to the platform is encrypted (HTTPS). You may delete your account and associated data at any time by request.

Aggregated third-party content

The platform displays headlines, event listings, ratings and other content aggregated from third-party and public sources, and links out to external sites. Those sites have their own privacy policies and terms — we are not responsible for their practices, and following an external link is at your discretion. We do not control, verify or endorse third-party content, and it may change or become unavailable without notice.

Where data is processed

Our infrastructure is hosted in the United States. If you access the platform from outside the US (including from India, the EU or the UK), you understand that your information is processed in the United States, and where required we rely on appropriate safeguards such as standard contractual clauses offered by our providers.

Security incidents

No system is perfectly secure. If a breach affecting your personal information occurs, we will notify affected users and regulators as required by applicable law, and act promptly to contain and remediate it. To the maximum extent permitted by law, our liability in connection with any security incident is limited as described in our Terms of Use.

Children

The platform is intended for adults 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13; if you believe a child has provided us information, contact us and we will delete it.

Changes

We will update this policy as the platform evolves — including before enabling any new advertising technology, paid features or additional geographies — and revise the date at the top. Material changes will be highlighted on the platform.