1. Consent and Authorization

• Express Consent: By using our Platform, registering an account, or interacting with our Services, you expressly consent to the collection, processing, storage, and sharing of your information as outlined in this Privacy Policy to facilitate content delivery, referral services, affiliate tracking, and non-lending or lending partner integrations offered by us and our regulated partners.
• Communication Authorization: By providing your contact details (phone number, email address), you authorize us, our corporate entities, and affiliate partners to contact you via Email, Phone Call, SMS, or Instant Messaging (e.g., WhatsApp) regarding service updates, transaction details, newsletter alerts, and promotional offers. This consent explicitly overrides any registration under the National Do Not Call (NDNC) or Do Not Disturb (DND) registries.
• Revocation of Consent: You may revoke or withdraw your consent for future data collection at any time by updating your mobile device settings, using in-app controls, or emailing us at privacy@consumerfirst.in. Please note that revoking consent may impact our ability to render certain or all Services to you.

2. Information We Automatically Collect

When you visit or interact with the Platform, we and our third-party service providers (including analytics, network, and advertising partners) automatically collect technical and usage information from your browser or device (“Usage Data”).

• Categories of Usage Data: IP address, geographic location (city/state level), unique device identifiers (e.g., Android ID, mobile device ID), browser type and version, operating system, Internet Service Provider (ISP), referring/exit pages, access timestamps, clickstream data, search queries, and interactions with articles, advertisements, or affiliate links.
• Purposes: We use Usage Data to diagnose server and software issues, optimize Platform performance, analyze reader trends, prevent click fraud, and customize content and commercial recommendations.

3. Cookies, Tracking Technologies, and App Data

We utilize cookies, pixel tags, SDKs, local storage, and log files to enhance navigation, analyze trends, and deliver relevant promotions.

• Cookies & Local Storage: Cookies are small text files placed on your device to uniquely identify your browser. Most browsers accept cookies automatically; you can adjust your browser settings to refuse cookies or notify you when a cookie is sent. Rejecting cookies may limit your ability to use certain features on our Platform.
• Pixel Tags & Tracking Pixels: Small graphic files that enable us and our affiliate or ad partners to track page views, link clicks, conversion events, and user journeys across our Platform and partner merchant sites.
• App Technologies & SDKs: Our mobile applications may embed third-party Software Development Kits (SDKs) and non-browser tracking technologies to measure app installation, user engagement, conversion paths, and crash analytics.
• Location-Aware Technologies: Subject to explicit device permissions, location-aware technologies (e.g., IP-based geo-location) may be used to deliver regional news, relevant financial offers, or geographically targeted deals.

4. Information You Choose to Submit

You can read publicly accessible articles on the Platform without disclosing your identity. However, access to specific interactive features, newsletters, contests, or service inquiries requires voluntary submission of Personal Data.

*Note: Any content posted in public comment areas becomes public information; exercise caution when disclosing personal details.

5. Information We Receive From Third Parties & Other Sources

We may lawfully supplement the information we collect with records received from public databases and third-party partners:

• Affiliate & Merchant Networks: Transaction timestamps, order IDs, and conversion data to verify referrals when you click an outbound affiliate link on our Platform.
• Credit Bureaus & Identity Verification Services: Information from credit bureaus, Account Aggregators (AAs), or identity verification providers when you explicitly request eligibility checks for financial products offered by regulated partners.
• Social Networks & Single Sign-On (SSO): If you log in via third-party services (such as Google or Facebook), we receive profile data (e.g., name, email address, profile picture) per that platform’s authorization protocols.

6. Purpose and Use of Collected Information

We process User Information strictly for legitimate business, operational, and compliance purposes:

• Click & Conversion Tracking: Utilizing cookies, tracking pixels, unique affiliate identifiers (UTM codes), and SDKs to track when you click on a partner or merchant link on our Platform and complete a transaction or registration on the partner’s site.
• Commission Verification: Sharing non-sensitive referral data (such as transaction timestamps, order IDs, and masked device identifiers) with affiliate networks and merchant partners to accurately attribute referrals, calculate commissions, and audit partner conversions.
• Targeted Product Recommendations: Analyzing browsing behavior, search activity, and preferences to display relevant affiliate products, customized offers, and sponsored deals across various sectors (financial products, retail, utility services, etc.).
• Marketing & Communications: Delivering tailored promotional materials, newsletters, editorial updates, and exclusive deal alerts via email, SMS, push notifications, or instant messaging.
• Fraud Prevention in Referral Programs: Monitoring interactions and click patterns to detect, mitigate, and prevent fraudulent activities, such as fake leads, cookie stuffing, or automated click fraud.
• Platform Operations & Customer Support: Managing user accounts, answering queries, delivering customer care, and improving overall Platform user experience.
• Regulatory Compliance: Meeting legal obligations, responding to judicial proceedings, or complying with requests from Indian statutory and law enforcement authorities.

7. Data Sharing and Disclosure Practices

We do not rent, sell, or trade your personal information to third parties for their independent marketing purposes without your clear consent. We share User Information only under the following controlled circumstances:

• Affiliates & Group Entities: With our parent companies, subsidiaries, and sister entities for technical operations, customer support, and internal reporting.
• Regulated Financial Partners & Service Providers: With co-lending partners, banks, NBFCs, credit bureaus, payment aggregators, ad networks, and IT infrastructure vendors strictly to fulfill requested Services or complete transactions.
• Operational & Event Partners: With third-party operational providers who assist in managing contests, sweepstakes, newsletter distributions, or merchandise fulfillment.
• Legal, Safety, and Regulatory Disclosures: When required by law, subpoena, court order, or governmental mandate, or when necessary to enforce our Terms of Service, protect our legal rights, or prevent fraud and security threats.
• Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, corporate restructuring, bankruptcy, or sale of company assets, user data may be transferred to the acquiring entity under confidentiality covenants.

8. Anonymous and Aggregated Data

We frequently create anonymized, de-identified, or aggregated datasets from the information collected. Anonymous Data removes personal identifiers so that an individual cannot be reasonably identified. We use and share Anonymous Data with advertisers, research firms, and promotional partners to analyze web traffic, demographic patterns, and content engagement without restriction.

9. Data Retention, Modification, and Deletion

• Data Retention: We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, resolve disputes, enforce agreements, or comply with statutory retention mandates under applicable Indian laws.
• Rectification & Updates: If any information provided to us is inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated, you have the right to request its correction by updating your account profile or emailing us.
• Data Deletion Request: You have the right to request the deletion of your account and personal details from our active databases. Upon receiving a verifiable request at contact@consumerfirst.in, we will delete your details subject to mandatory legal or statutory retention obligations. Upon deletion, access to registered Services will be terminated.

10. Data Security and Incident Management

• Security Controls: We employ administrative, physical, technical, and organizational safeguards (including SSL encryption, secure servers, access controls, and firewalls) engineered to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, loss, alteration, or disclosure.
• Incident Management Protocol: In the event of a confirmed security breach impacting your personal data, we will activate our Incident Management Protocol to contain the breach, investigate the cause, and notify impacted users and regulatory authorities in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

11. Third-Party Links, Applications, and Services

Our Platform contains external links to third-party websites, ad servers, payment gateways, and merchant platforms. Once you click on a third-party link or leave our Platform, your data interactions are governed by that third party's privacy policy and terms of use. We do not control and are not responsible for the privacy practices, content, or security of external third-party sites.

12. Children’s Privacy

Our Platform and Services are intended for a general audience and are not directed at minors under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect or solicit personal data from children. If a parent or guardian becomes aware that a child has provided us with personal data without proper consent, please contact us immediately, and we will take prompt steps to delete such information from our records.

13. Updates to This Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to modify or update this Privacy Policy at any time to reflect legal, regulatory, or operational changes. Any updates will be published on this page with a revised “Effective Date.” Material changes will be communicated via a prominent notice on our Platform or through registered email communications. Your continued use of the Platform after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

14. Contact Us & Grievance Redressal

In accordance with the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the DPDP Act, 2023, if you have any questions, concerns, updates, or grievances regarding this Privacy Policy or our data processing practices, please contact our Privacy Desk / Grievance Officer: