Privacy & Advertising Policy

1. Introduction & Scope

Welcome to E-Pustakalaya ("we", "our", "us", or "the Platform"). Your privacy is of utmost importance to us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website epustakalaya.com (the "Site"), use our digital library services, or interact with our content, including free PDF downloads, search features, and user accounts.

By accessing E-Pustakalaya, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy and our Advertising Policy. We are committed to transparency — especially regarding how we support our free digital library through advertisements.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information to provide better services, improve user experience, and serve relevant ads. Types of data include:

• Personal Information: When you register (optional), subscribe to newsletters, or contact us, we may collect your name, email address, and preferences.
• Usage Data: Pages visited, books viewed, search queries (e.g., "Vedas", "Karmakandam"), time spent, and download history.
• Device & Log Data: IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URLs, and device identifiers.
• Cookies & Similar Technologies: See Section 4 below.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use collected data to:

• Operate and maintain the digital library (search, browse, download PDFs).
• Improve our collection recommendations (e.g., showing popular Puranas or Sanskrit texts).
• Respond to inquiries, support requests, or manuscript contributions.
• Display personalized and non-personalized advertisements (see Ads Policy).
• Analyze aggregate trends to understand which categories (Veda Upanishad, Karmakandam, etc.) are most valued.
• Prevent fraud, security incidents, and enforce our Terms of Use.

4. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

E-Pustakalaya uses cookies to enhance functionality and ad delivery. Cookies are small text files stored on your device. We use:

• Essential Cookies: Required for login, session management, and accessing PDFs.
• Preference Cookies: Remember language choices (Sanskrit/Hindi/English) and font settings.
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand user behavior (via privacy-friendly analytics).
• Advertising Cookies: Serve relevant ads based on your interests and limit ad repetition.

You can manage cookie preferences via your browser settings. However, disabling certain cookies may affect site functionality.

5. Sharing & Disclosure of Data

We do not sell your personal data. We may share information in limited scenarios:

• Service Providers: Third-party hosting, analytics, and ad networks (see Section 7).
• Legal Compliance: If required by law, court order, or governmental request.
• Protection of Rights: To enforce our policies or protect the safety of users.
• Business Transfers: In case of merger or acquisition, data may be transferred under same privacy commitments.

6. Advertising Policy (Detailed & Comprehensive)

6.1 Why We Show Ads

E-Pustakalaya offers thousands of free PDFs, including Vedic texts, Upanishads, and Sanskrit literature. To keep the library accessible without charging users, we partner with ad networks (e.g., Google AdSense, Media.net, and others). Ad revenue allows us to add new titles, preserve heritage, and maintain zero subscription fees.

6.2 Types of Advertisements

• Display Ads (Banners): Shown on sidebar, header, footer, and between search results.
• In-Content Ads: Non-intrusive ads placed within category pages or after book descriptions.
• Search Ads: Sponsored links may appear when you search for "Puranam" or "Vedas".
• Video/Interactive Ads: Occasionally on external embedded players (rare).

6.3 Ad Personalization vs. Non-Personalized Ads

We support both personalized and non-personalized advertising. Personalized ads use cookies and past behavior (e.g., if you frequently read Karmakandam texts, you might see ads related to spiritual books). Non-personalized ads are based solely on contextual factors (e.g., the page content "Sanskrit Grammar"). You can control personalization via cookie consent or your Google Ad Settings.

6.4 Ad Content Restrictions

We strictly prohibit ads that are misleading, violent, discriminatory, or promote prohibited items (e.g., alcohol, gambling, adult content). All ads shown on E-Pustakalaya must align with our cultural and spiritual ethos. We reserve the right to block any advertiser that violates these principles.

6.5 Affiliate Links & Sponsored Content

Occasionally, we may include affiliate links to relevant products (e.g., printed editions of scriptures). When you click such links and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Sponsored posts will always be clearly marked as "Sponsored" or "Advertisement".

6.6 Third-Party Ad Serving

We use third-party ad servers (Google, etc.) that may set cookies to serve ads based on your visits to our site and other websites. These third parties collect information directly via cookies and web beacons.

7. Third-Party Ad Networks & Google Ads

E-Pustakalaya uses Google AdSense and other certified ad partners. Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads based on your visit to our site and/or other sites on the internet. Users may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ad Settings. Additionally, you can opt out of some third-party cookies via the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page.

Important: Some third-party vendors may use information (excluding your name, address, email address, or telephone number) about your visits to this and other websites to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you.

8. Your Privacy Choices & Opt-Out

• Cookie Consent: On your first visit, you can accept or manage cookie preferences via our consent banner.
• Opt-Out of Personalized Ads: Visit Google Ad Settings or use the YourAdChoices tool.
• Browser Settings: Most browsers allow you to block third-party cookies or clear existing cookies.
• Do Not Track (DNT): Our site respects DNT signals; if enabled, we will limit tracking for personalization.

9. Data Security & Retention

We implement industry-standard security measures (SSL encryption, firewalls, access controls) to protect your data. However, no online transmission is 100% secure. We retain personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, or as required by law (e.g., tax records for ad revenue). Anonymous usage data may be kept indefinitely for analytics.

10. Children's Privacy

E-Pustakalaya is intended for general audiences and for seekers of all ages, but we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 years of age (or under 16 in certain regions). If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal data, please contact us, and we will delete such information promptly.

11. Your Rights (GDPR / CCPA / Global Privacy)

Depending on your location (EEA, UK, California, Brazil, etc.), you may have the following rights:

• Right to Access: Request a copy of personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Rectification: Correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to Erasure (Right to be Forgotten): Request deletion of your personal information.
• Right to Restrict Processing: Limit how we use your data.
• Right to Data Portability: Receive your data in a structured format.
• Right to Opt-Out of Sale/Sharing: We do not sell personal data; however, you can opt out of "sharing for cross-context behavioral advertising" by adjusting cookie preferences.

To exercise any rights, please email us at info@epustakalaya.com. We will respond within 30 days.

12. Changes to This Privacy & Ads Policy

We may update this policy periodically to reflect changes in legal requirements, ad technologies, or our operations. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this page indicates when revisions were made. Material changes will be notified via a banner on the homepage or email (if you have subscribed). Your continued use of E-Pustakalaya after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, advertising practices, or data handling, please reach out to our Data Protection Officer:

• 📧 Email: info@epustakalaya.com (Privacy matters)
• 📧 General & Ads: info@epustakalaya.com
• 📍 Mailing Address: E-Pustakalaya , Digital Heritage Wing, Biratnagaar , Nepal