Privacy Policy for Kalmyks.com

Effective Date: September 15, 2025

At Kalmyks.com, we are committed to protecting the privacy of our users, who form a vibrant community sharing Kalmyk culture, history, language, groups, temples, photos, and more. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website, create an account, post content, or interact with our features. By using Kalmyks.com, you consent to these practices.

This policy complies with applicable laws, including GDPR for EU users and CCPA for California residents. We do not sell personal data.

1. Information We Collect

We collect information to provide and improve our services. Categories include:

  • Personal Information: When you register or log in, we collect your username, email, and hashed password. For social logins (e.g., Facebook, Google, X), we may receive your name, email, and profile picture.
  • User-Generated Content: Posts, comments, photos, albums, group memberships, and temple details you upload or share. This may include images, text, and metadata (e.g., location if enabled).
  • Usage Data: Automatically collected info like IP address, browser type, pages visited, and timestamps via cookies or analytics tools.
  • Sensitive Data: For cultural features (e.g., Kalmyk language translations or temple locations), we may process location or demographic data, but only with your consent.

We minimize collection to what's necessary for community features like timelines, history sections, and photo albums.

2. How We Use Your Information

Your data helps us:

  • Provide Services: Authenticate logins, display posts, manage albums, and facilitate groups/temples.
  • Improve the Platform: Analyze usage for features like personalized feeds or language tools.
  • Communicate: Send confirmation emails, notifications (e.g., new comments), or cultural updates.
  • Legal Compliance: Respond to lawful requests or prevent abuse.

We use aggregated, anonymized data for analytics (e.g., popular history topics) without identifying individuals.

3. Sharing Your Information

We do not sell data. We share only:

  • With Consent: For social features (e.g., sharing posts via Facebook).
  • Service Providers: Trusted third parties (e.g., email services like SendGrid) bound by confidentiality.
  • Legal Reasons: To comply with laws, protect rights, or enforce terms.
  • Business Transfers: In case of merger or sale.

No sharing with advertisers without opt-in.

4. Data Security

We use industry-standard measures like encryption (HTTPS), hashed passwords, and access controls. However, no system is 100% secure—report issues to admin@kalmyks.com.

5. Your Rights and Choices

  • Access/Update/Delete: Log in to view/edit your profile, posts, or albums. Request full deletion via email.
  • Opt-Out: Unsubscribe from emails; disable cookies in browser settings.
  • GDPR/CCPA Rights: EU/California users can request access, correction, or erasure. Contact us within 30 days.
  • Cookies: We use essential cookies for sessions and analytics (e.g., Google Analytics). Manage via browser.

6. Children's Privacy

Kalmyks.com is for adults 18+. We do not knowingly collect data from children.

7. International Transfers

Data may be stored in the US or EU; we ensure adequate protections via standard clauses.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy; changes are posted here with the new effective date. Continued use constitutes acceptance.

9. Contact Us

Questions? Email admin@kalmyks.com.