1. Introduction

Welcome to Belgaum Today ("we," "our," or "us"). Belgaum Today is a news aggregation and publishing platform available at belgaum.today. We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website.

By accessing or using Belgaum Today, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with the terms of this Privacy Policy, please do not access the website.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information in the following ways:

2.1 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, certain information is collected automatically through cookies, web beacons, tracking pixels, and similar technologies. This may include:

• Your IP address (anonymised where possible)
• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• Referring/exit pages and URLs
• Pages viewed and time spent on those pages
• Date and time of your visit
• Device type (desktop, mobile, tablet)
• Screen resolution and language preference
• Clickstream data and interaction patterns

2.2 Information You Provide Voluntarily

We may collect personal information that you voluntarily provide when you contact us, subscribe to newsletters, or interact with certain features. This may include your name, email address, and any message content you submit.

2.3 Information from Third-Party Services

We use third-party services such as Google Analytics, Google AdSense, and Meta Pixel that may independently collect information about you. Please refer to the specific disclosures in Sections 5, 6, and 7 for details.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for one or more of the following purposes:

• To operate, maintain, and improve our website and services
• To personalise your experience and deliver content relevant to your interests
• To analyse website traffic, usage patterns, and trends
• To display relevant advertisements through third-party ad networks
• To monitor and prevent fraud, abuse, and security threats
• To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes
• To communicate with you, including responding to inquiries and sending updates
• To measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns

4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Belgaum Today uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience. Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help us recognise your browser and capture certain information.

Types of Cookies We Use

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling cookies may affect the functionality of certain parts of our website.

5. Google AdSense Disclosure

We use Google AdSense, an advertising service provided by Google LLC ("Google"), to display advertisements on our website. Google AdSense uses cookies and web beacons to serve ads based on your prior visits to this website and other websites on the internet.

• Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads based on your visit to Belgaum Today and/or other sites on the internet.
• You may opt out of personalised advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings.
• Alternatively, you can opt out of third-party vendor cookies by visiting the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page.
• Google may collect and process data in accordance with their own Privacy Policy.

For more information on how Google uses data from partner sites, please visit How Google Uses Data When You Use Our Partners’ Sites or Apps.

6. Meta Pixel (Facebook Pixel) Disclosure

We use Meta Pixel (formerly Facebook Pixel), a tracking tool provided by Meta Platforms, Inc. ("Meta"), to measure the effectiveness of our advertising, understand user actions on our website, and deliver targeted advertisements on Meta platforms (Facebook and Instagram).

Meta Pixel may collect the following data:

• HTTP headers — including IP address, browser information, page location, and referrer
• Pixel-specific data — including Pixel ID and cookies
• Button click data — including any content, button labels, and pages visited
• Form field names — when you submit a form on our site (not field values unless specifically configured)
• Optional values — including conversion value, page type, and other custom data events we define

This data is used to optimise ad delivery and provide aggregated analytics. You can control the use of your data for advertising purposes through your Facebook Ad Preferences. For more information, please review Meta’s Privacy Policy.

7. Google Analytics Disclosure

We use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google LLC, to collect and analyse information about the use of our website. Google Analytics uses cookies to help us understand how visitors engage with our site.

Google Analytics collects information such as:

• How often you visit the website
• What pages you view and how long you stay
• What other websites you visited before arriving
• Demographic information (age, gender, interests) where available
• Geographic location (country, region, city)
• Device and browser information

We have enabled IP anonymisation in Google Analytics, which means your IP address is truncated and anonymised before being stored. The information generated by Google Analytics cookies about your use of this website is transmitted to and stored on Google servers.

You can prevent Google Analytics from tracking you by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. You can also manage your settings at Google Data & Privacy Settings.

8. Data Sharing and Third-Party Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share aggregated, non-personally identifiable information with third parties for analytics, advertising, and business purposes. We may also disclose your information in the following circumstances:

• Service Providers: We share data with trusted third-party service providers (such as Google and Meta) who assist us in operating our website, serving advertisements, and analysing traffic, subject to confidentiality obligations.
• Legal Obligations: We may disclose information if required by law, judicial proceeding, court order, or governmental request.
• Protection of Rights: We may disclose information when necessary to enforce our site policies, protect our rights, or ensure the safety of our users.

9. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. Specifically:

• Analytics data collected through Google Analytics is retained for a maximum of 26 months, after which it is automatically deleted.
• Server log files (including IP addresses and access logs) are retained for up to 90 days for security monitoring purposes and then deleted.
• Cookie data expires based on the specific cookie type. Session cookies are deleted when you close your browser; persistent cookies expire at a set date or after a period of inactivity.

10. Data Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• SSL/TLS encryption for data transmission
• Secure server infrastructure with regular updates and patches
• Access controls limiting data access to authorised personnel
• Regular monitoring for security vulnerabilities

However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

11. Your Rights Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

If you are a resident of the European Economic Area (EEA), you have certain data protection rights under the GDPR. Belgaum Today aims to take reasonable steps to allow you to correct, amend, delete, or limit the use of your personal data. You have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Rectification: Request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
• Erasure: Request that we delete your personal data, subject to certain exceptions.
• Restriction: Request that we restrict the processing of your personal data.
• Data Portability: Request a copy of your data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.
• Objection: Object to processing of your personal data for direct marketing purposes.
• Withdraw Consent: Withdraw your consent at any time where we relied on your consent to process your personal data.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at ask@belgaum.today. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

12. Your Rights Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). These rights include:

• Right to Know: You have the right to request that we disclose what personal information we have collected about you, the sources of that information, the purpose for collecting it, and the third parties with whom we share it.
• Right to Delete: You have the right to request the deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions.
• Right to Opt-Out: You have the right to opt out of the sale of your personal information. Belgaum Today does not sell your personal information.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA rights.

To exercise your CCPA rights, please contact us at ask@belgaum.today.

13. Children’s Information (COPPA Compliance)

Belgaum Today does not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13 (or under the age of 16 in EEA jurisdictions). Our website and services are not directed to children.

If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child without verification of parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information as quickly as possible. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child, please contact us immediately at ask@belgaum.today.

14. Consent to This Policy

By using Belgaum Today, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your information as described in this Privacy Policy. If we make material changes to this policy, we will notify you by updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.

Continued use of our website after any modifications to this Privacy Policy constitutes your acknowledgement of the modifications and your consent to abide by the updated terms.

15. How to Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

• Email: ask@belgaum.today
• Website: belgaum.today
• Address: Belgaum (Belagavi), Karnataka, India — 590001

This Privacy Policy was last reviewed and updated on February 17, 2026. For questions about specific advertising practices, please refer to the individual disclosures in Sections 5, 6, and 7 above, or contact the respective platform directly.