Privacy Policy

Pilot version · last updated 2026-08-21

This policy explains what Sangh by IndianCulture (operated by Vialynx Inc) collects, why, how long we keep it, and what you can ask us to do about it. It covers the Sangh app and the IndianCulture provider directory.

What we collect

Account: your name, email address and profile photo from Google sign-in.
Phone number — only if you verify one to unlock Near Me features. Verification is optional; the rest of Sangh works without it.
Location at town level (the Near Me group you join). We do not collect GPS or continuous location.
Content you create: posts, replies, recommendations, provider listings, booking requests, and direct messages.
Technical data needed to run and defend the service: IP address, browser user-agent, and timestamps of sign-in and verification attempts.

Why we use it

To run the service you asked for — groups, posts, search, bookings. (Legal basis: performance of a contract.)
To keep it safe — verify local membership, rate-limit abuse, detect fraud and spam, review reported content. (Legal basis: legitimate interests.)
To show you the right groups — we use the approximate region your connection appears to come from to decide whether to suggest neighbourhood groups or global Circles. It is a rough guess, it is never stored, and it never blocks you from anything: every group stays visible and joinable whatever we guess. (Legal basis: legitimate interests.)
To connect you with a provider — when a booking is confirmed, your name and contact details are shared with that provider, and theirs with you, so the service can actually happen. This is the point of a booking; if you don’t want it, don’t confirm one.
To notify you about activity involving you, and — if you haven’t opted out — a weekly digest of your groups. (Legal basis: legitimate interests; you can opt out at any time.)

What we never do

We do not sell or rent your personal information, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioural advertising. We run no advertising network and no third-party ad or marketing trackers. We do not send marketing text messages — SMS is used solely for the one-time verification code you request.

Who we share it with

Only service providers that help us run Sangh, each handling data on our instructions:

Neon — database hosting
Upstash — caching and rate limiting
Vercel / Cloudflare — application hosting, delivery, and privacy-preserving traffic analytics
Google — sign-in
Twilio — sending the one-time verification code
Resend — sending email
Cloudflare R2 — storing images you upload

We also disclose information where the law requires it.

How long we keep it

Account and content: until you close your account.
Verification logs (phone number, IP, user-agent for code requests): 90 days, then deleted automatically.
Booking and points records: kept after account closure in anonymized form — we need them for our own accounting, and they can no longer be linked back to you.
Moderation records for reports upheld against an account: kept while needed to enforce our rules.

Your choices and rights

Access and edit your profile and content in the app at any time.
Close your account yourself under Account → Close my account. You choose whether your posts go with you. There’s a 7-day grace period — sign back in to cancel.
Opt out of the weekly digest with the one-click link in any digest email (no sign-in needed) or the toggle under Account.
Skip phone verification entirely — you keep everything except Near Me posting.
Ask for a copy of your data, or for correction or deletion, by emailing us. We respond within 30 days.

Depending on where you live you may also have the right to object to or restrict certain processing, and to complain to your local data protection authority. We will never treat you differently for exercising any of these rights.

Children

Sangh is for adults. You must be 18 or older to create an account, and we don’t knowingly collect information from children. If you believe a child has an account, tell us and we’ll remove it.

Where your data is held

Vialynx Inc is based in the United States and your information is processed there. If you use Sangh from outside the US, you understand that your information is transferred to and stored in the US.

Changes

If we change this policy materially, we’ll ask you to accept the new version the next time you open the app, and update the date above.

Contact

Privacy questions, data requests, or complaints: privacy@indianculture.com.