Last updated: 5 October 2026

This Privacy Policy explains what information HinduTone collects when you use hindutone.com and its Hindi (hindi.hindutone.com) and Telugu (telugu.hindutone.com) editions, how we use it, and the choices you have. By using the site you agree to this policy; please also read our Terms of Use.

Who we are

HinduTone is a website about Hindu festivals, temples, rituals, mantras, astrology and names, written for readers in India and the Hindu diaspora. For any privacy question or request, email contact@hindutone.com or use our contact page.

Information you give us

  • Contact form: your name, email address, optional phone number, subject and message. These are sent to us by email so we can reply.
  • Newsletter: your email address, optional name, language and topic preferences. We store your sign-up and pass it to our email provider, Mailchimp (Intuit), which sends the newsletter. Every newsletter contains an unsubscribe link.
  • Donation pledge form: your name, email address, pledged amount and optional message, sent to us by email. We do not collect or store payment card or bank details on this website.

Information collected automatically

  • Server logs: like most websites, our servers record your IP address, browser type, the page requested, the referring page and the date and time. We use these logs to run, secure and troubleshoot the site and to block abuse; the contact form also uses your IP address briefly to limit spam.
  • Analytics: we use Google Analytics (loaded through Google Tag Manager) to understand which pages are read and how visitors find us. Google Analytics uses cookies and collects information such as pages viewed, approximate location, device and browser. You can learn more at How Google uses information from sites that use its services and opt out with the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.

Advertising and cookies

HinduTone is free to read because it is supported by advertising. We use Google AdSense to show ads.

  • Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a user’s prior visits to this website or other websites.
  • Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to our users based on their visit to our site and/or other sites on the Internet.
  • Users may opt out of personalised advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings. Alternatively, you can opt out of some third-party vendors’ use of cookies for personalised advertising by visiting www.aboutads.info or, in Europe, www.youronlinechoices.eu.
  • Google’s advertising policies are explained at Google Advertising Technologies. If you opt out of personalised ads you will still see ads, but they will be less relevant to you.

Cookies are small text files stored by your browser. We and our partners use them for analytics and advertising as described above. We also store a small setting in your browser (local storage) to remember your cookie choice and whether you have closed certain notices; this contains no personal information.

Your cookie choices

When you first visit, a cookie banner lets you accept or decline analytics and personalised-advertising cookies. We use Google Consent Mode: if you decline, Google tags are told not to store analytics or advertising cookies and ads shown to you are non-personalised. You can change your mind at any time by clearing this site’s cookies and local storage in your browser, which brings the banner back. Most browsers also let you block or delete cookies in their settings.

How we use information

  • To publish, operate, secure and improve the website.
  • To reply to messages and handle donation pledges.
  • To send the newsletter you asked for.
  • To measure readership and show advertising that keeps the site free.
  • To comply with the law and protect our rights and our readers.

We do not sell your personal information for money. We share it only with the service providers named in this policy (such as Google, Mailchimp, and our hosting and email providers) so they can perform services for us, or when required by law. Where privacy laws treat advertising cookies as “sharing”, you can opt out using the cookie banner and the opt-out links above.

How long we keep information

Contact and donation emails are kept as long as needed to handle your request and for our records. Newsletter sign-ups are kept until you unsubscribe or ask us to delete them. Server logs are kept for a limited period for security and then deleted or rotated. Analytics and advertising data are kept by Google according to its own retention settings and policies.

Your rights

Depending on where you live (for example under the EU and UK GDPR, India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, or US state laws such as California’s), you may have the right to access, correct or delete your personal information, to object to or restrict certain uses, to withdraw consent, and to opt out of personalised advertising. To make a request, email contact@hindutone.com. We will respond within the time required by law and will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights. You may also complain to your local data protection authority.

Children

HinduTone is a general-audience site and is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, contact us and we will delete it.

Security and international transfers

We use reasonable technical measures, including encrypted HTTPS connections, to protect information. No website can guarantee complete security. Our website is hosted in the United States, and our service providers may process information in other countries; by using the site you understand your information may be transferred to and processed in those countries.

Links to other websites

Our articles link to temple, government and other external websites. Their privacy practices are their own; please review their policies when you visit them.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The date at the top shows the latest version. Significant changes will be highlighted on this page.

Contact

Email: contact@hindutone.com — or write to us through our contact page.