Data Retention Policy

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This Data Retention Policy explains how long SarkariNews24.com retains different categories of personal data and information, the legal basis for our retention periods, and the procedures we follow for data deletion. We are committed to retaining data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected.

1. Retention Periods

The following table outlines the specific retention periods for each category of data we collect or process:

1.1 Google Analytics 4 Data

  • Retention Period: 14 months
  • Data Collected: Anonymised website usage data including page views, session duration, traffic sources, device information, and user interactions.
  • Purpose: To analyse website traffic, understand user behaviour, and improve content and user experience.
  • Notes: GA4 data retention is configured at the property level in Google Analytics. After 14 months, user-level and event-level data associated with cookies is automatically deleted. Aggregated reports remain available indefinitely as they do not contain personal data.

1.2 Consent Records

  • Retention Period: 180 days
  • Data Collected: Cookie consent preferences (accept/decline choices for analytics and advertising cookies).
  • Purpose: To remember and respect your cookie preferences across visits, as required by GDPR and ePrivacy regulations.
  • Notes: After 180 days, consent records expire and you will be asked to reconfirm your preferences. This ensures that consent remains current and informed.

1.3 Contact Form Submissions

  • Retention Period: 12 months
  • Data Collected: Name, email address, subject, and message content submitted through our contact form.
  • Purpose: To respond to enquiries, feedback, and complaints, and to maintain records of communications for quality assurance and dispute resolution.
  • Notes: Contact form data is stored securely and access is limited to authorised editorial and administrative staff. After 12 months, submissions are permanently deleted unless retention is required for ongoing correspondence or legal obligations.

1.4 User Comments

  • Retention Period: Retained while the associated content remains published
  • Data Collected: Display name, email address (not publicly visible), comment text, and submission timestamp.
  • Purpose: To facilitate community discussion and engagement on published articles.
  • Notes: Comments are retained as long as the article they relate to remains published on the website. If an article is removed, associated comments are also deleted. Users may request removal of their comments at any time by contacting us.

1.5 Server Logs

  • Retention Period: 90 days
  • Data Collected: IP addresses, browser user agents, requested URLs, HTTP status codes, referrer URLs, and timestamps.
  • Purpose: To ensure website security, detect and prevent abuse, diagnose technical issues, and monitor server performance.
  • Notes: Server logs are automatically rotated and purged after 90 days. In the event of a security incident, relevant log entries may be preserved for a longer period as needed for investigation and remediation.

1.6 Google AdSense Data

  • Retention Period: Per Google's data retention policy
  • Data Collected: Ad interaction data, including impressions, clicks, and cookies used for ad personalisation (when consented).
  • Purpose: To serve advertisements and measure ad performance.
  • Notes: AdSense data is collected and retained by Google in accordance with Google's Privacy Policy. SarkariNews24 does not have direct control over Google's data retention for AdSense. Users can manage their ad preferences at Google Ads Settings.

2. Legal Basis for Data Retention

Our data retention practices are guided by the following legal frameworks:

2.1 General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) - Article 5

Under GDPR Article 5(1)(e), personal data must be kept in a form that permits identification of data subjects for no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which the personal data is processed. This principle of "storage limitation" requires us to establish clear retention periods and delete data when it is no longer needed. Our retention periods are designed to comply with this principle while balancing the need to maintain records for legitimate purposes.

2.2 India Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA), 2023

Under Section 8(7) of the DPDPA, a Data Fiduciary must not retain personal data beyond the period necessary to serve the purpose for which it was collected, unless retention is required under any law. SarkariNews24 acts as a Data Fiduciary under the DPDPA and ensures that personal data is erased when it ceases to be necessary for the stated purpose, unless a legal obligation mandates continued retention.

2.3 Information Technology Act, 2000 (India)

Under the Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011, we implement reasonable security practices for the retention and protection of personal information collected from users in India.

3. Deletion Procedures

SarkariNews24 follows these procedures for data deletion:

3.1 Automated Deletion

  • Server Logs: Automatically rotated and deleted after 90 days through automated log management processes.
  • GA4 Data: Automatically deleted by Google after the configured 14-month retention period.
  • Consent Records: Automatically expire after 180 days, prompting users to reconfirm preferences.

3.2 Manual Deletion

  • Contact Form Data: Reviewed quarterly and deleted when older than 12 months unless required for ongoing matters.
  • User Comments: Deleted upon user request or when the associated article is removed from the website.

3.3 User-Initiated Deletion

You have the right to request deletion of your personal data at any time. To exercise this right:

  • Send an email to contact@sarkarinews24.com with the subject line "Data Deletion Request".
  • Include sufficient information to identify the data you wish to have deleted (such as the email address used for contact form submissions or the comment you wish to have removed).
  • We will acknowledge your request within 48 hours and complete the deletion within 30 days, unless there are legitimate grounds for continued retention.

4. Exceptions to Retention Periods

In certain circumstances, data may be retained beyond the standard retention periods:

  • Legal Obligations: Data may be retained if required by applicable law, regulation, or court order.
  • Legal Claims: Data relevant to pending or anticipated legal proceedings may be retained for the duration of such proceedings.
  • Security Incidents: Data related to security incidents may be retained for investigation and remediation purposes.
  • Consent: Data may be retained beyond standard periods if you have provided explicit consent for extended retention.

5. Data Minimisation

In accordance with GDPR Article 5(1)(c) and the DPDPA, SarkariNews24 practises data minimisation by collecting only the data that is necessary for the stated purposes. We regularly review our data collection practices to ensure we are not collecting or retaining more data than required.

6. Third-Party Data Retention

Third-party services used on our website (Google Analytics, Google AdSense, Google Funding Choices) have their own data retention policies. We recommend reviewing their respective privacy policies:

7. Changes to This Policy

SarkariNews24 reserves the right to update this Data Retention Policy at any time. Changes will be effective immediately upon posting on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

8. Contact Information

If you have any questions about this Data Retention Policy or wish to exercise your data rights, please contact us:

This Data Retention Policy was last updated on 21 April 2026.