Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Anna 99 Words ("we," "our," or "us"), a sole proprietorship owned and operated by Rahul Singh, is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly. This Privacy Policy explains in detail how we collect, use, store, share, and protect your personal information when you visit our website (anna99words.site), use our copywriting services, or interact with us through any communication channel including email, phone, WhatsApp, and social media. Rahul Singh is the data controller responsible for any personal information processed in connection with this business.

This policy applies to all visitors, clients, prospective clients, newsletter subscribers, and any individual whose personal information we process in connection with our business operations. By using our website or engaging our services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with any part of this policy, please do not use our website or services.

We have written this policy in clear, plain language to ensure you can understand how your data is handled. If you have any questions after reading this policy, please contact us using the details provided in Section 14 below.

2. Who We Are

Anna 99 Words is a professional copywriting service operating in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India, as a sole proprietorship owned and managed by Rahul Singh (proprietor). Our registered office address is Budha Vihar Colony, Near R.T.O. Office, Soot Mill Chauraha, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh 202001, India. For all privacy-related enquiries, you can reach Rahul Singh at hello@anna99words.site or by phone at +91 8555 882 961.

3. Information We Collect

We collect different types of information depending on how you interact with us. Below is a detailed breakdown of the categories of information we collect and the sources from which we collect them.

3.1 Information You Provide Directly

• Contact Information: Your full name, email address, phone number, and company or brand name when you fill out our contact form, request a quote, send us an email, or message us on WhatsApp.
• Project Information: Details about your business, target audience, project requirements, existing content, website URLs, brand guidelines, and any files or documents you share with us during the course of a project. This may include text documents, images, spreadsheets, and other business materials.
• Payment Information: Bank account details or UPI IDs for processing payments. We do not store credit card or debit card numbers. Payment processing is handled through standard banking channels (NEFT, IMPS, UPI).
• Newsletter Subscription: Your email address when you subscribe to our newsletter through the contact form or email.
• Feedback and Communication: Any information you provide in emails, WhatsApp messages, phone calls, video calls, or in-person meetings, including feedback on our work, testimonials (shared with your explicit consent), and general correspondence.

3.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Usage Data: When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain technical information including pages visited, time spent on each page, referring URLs (the website you came from), exit pages, date and time of your visit, and the number of clicks. This data is collected through standard web analytics tools and is used to understand how visitors use our website and to improve the user experience.
• Device Information: Browser type and version, operating system, device type (desktop, mobile, tablet), screen resolution, and language preferences. This information helps us ensure our website displays correctly across different devices.
• IP Address: Your Internet Protocol (IP) address is automatically logged by our web server. We use IP addresses for security purposes, to prevent abuse, and for approximate geographic location analysis (country and city level only). We do not use IP addresses to identify individual users.
• Cookies and Similar Technologies: We use essential cookies to ensure our website functions properly. See Section 7 below for detailed information about our cookie usage.

3.3 Information from Third Parties

In some cases, we may receive information about you from third parties, including referrals from existing clients (your name and contact information shared with your knowledge), publicly available information from your website or social media profiles (used during the research phase of a project), and information from analytics providers about general website traffic patterns (not personally identifiable).

4. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information only for specific, legitimate purposes. Below is a detailed explanation of each purpose and the legal basis for processing.

• To respond to your enquiries: When you contact us through our website, email, phone, or WhatsApp, we use your contact information to respond to your message, understand your requirements, and provide a quote. Legal basis: Legitimate interest in responding to business enquiries.
• To deliver our services: We use your project information, business details, and communication to research, write, and deliver the copywriting services you have engaged us for. Legal basis: Performance of a contract.
• To process payments: We use your payment information to issue invoices and process payments for our services. Legal basis: Performance of a contract.
• To send project updates: During active projects, we send you updates about project progress, draft deliveries, revision requests, and other project-related communications. Legal basis: Performance of a contract.
• To send our newsletter: If you have subscribed to our newsletter, we send you periodic emails with copywriting tips, content marketing insights, and company updates. We send a maximum of 2 emails per month. Legal basis: Your explicit consent (you can unsubscribe at any time).
• To improve our website: We use usage data and analytics to understand how visitors interact with our website, identify areas for improvement, and optimise the user experience. Legal basis: Legitimate interest in improving our services.
• To protect our business: We use technical data (IP addresses, device information) to detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and security threats. Legal basis: Legitimate interest in protecting our business and users.
• To comply with legal obligations: We may process your information to comply with applicable laws, regulations, legal processes, or government requests. Legal basis: Legal obligation.

5. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, trade, or otherwise commercially transfer your personal information to third parties. We may share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

• Service Providers: We use third-party tools and services to operate our business, including website hosting providers, email delivery services (for newsletters), analytics tools, and project management platforms. These providers process your data on our behalf and are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes we specify. Current service providers include our web hosting provider, Google Analytics (for website analytics), and email service providers for newsletter delivery.
• Freelance Writers: For larger projects, we may assign portions of the work to vetted freelance writers in our network. In such cases, we share only the project-related information necessary for them to complete their assigned work (such as your industry, target audience, and content requirements). We do not share your personal contact information with freelancers — all communication goes through our team.
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, court order, subpoena, or government regulation. We may also disclose information if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, protect your safety or the safety of others, investigate fraud, or respond to a government request.
• Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email or a prominent notice on our website before your information is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.
• With Your Consent: We may share your information with third parties when you have given us explicit consent to do so. For example, if you provide a testimonial and consent to its publication on our website.

6. Data Storage and Security

We take the security of your personal information seriously and implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect it from unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.

6.1 Security Measures

• Our website uses SSL/TLS encryption (HTTPS) to protect data transmitted between your browser and our server
• Access to personal information is restricted to authorised team members who need it to perform their job functions
• We use strong passwords, two-factor authentication, and encrypted storage for sensitive business data
• Project files are stored in secure cloud storage with access controls and audit logging
• We regularly review and update our security practices to address new threats and vulnerabilities

6.2 Data Location

Your data is primarily stored on servers located in India. Some of our third-party service providers (such as email and analytics tools) may store data on servers located outside India. Where data is transferred internationally, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

6.3 Security Limitations

While we take reasonable measures to protect your data, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your information. If you become aware of any security breach or unauthorised access to your data, please contact us immediately at hello@anna99words.site.

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to ensure proper functionality and to understand how visitors use our site.

7.1 What Are Cookies

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device (computer, tablet, or mobile phone) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently and to provide information to website owners.

7.2 Types of Cookies We Use

• Essential Cookies: These cookies are necessary for our website to function properly. They enable basic features like page navigation, form submission, and security. You cannot opt out of essential cookies as they are required for the website to work.
• Analytics Cookies: We use analytics cookies (such as those from Google Analytics) to understand how visitors interact with our website — which pages are visited most, how long visitors spend on each page, and where visitors come from. This data is aggregated and anonymised, meaning it does not identify individual users. You can opt out of analytics cookies through your browser settings.

7.3 Cookies We Do Not Use

We do not use advertising cookies, retargeting cookies, or third-party tracking cookies. We do not serve ads on our website, and we do not track your browsing activity across other websites.

7.4 Managing Cookies

You can control and manage cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies. However, if you block essential cookies, some parts of our website may not function properly. For instructions on managing cookies in your specific browser, please refer to your browser's help documentation.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, or as required by law. Below are our specific retention periods:

• Contact Form Submissions: Retained for up to 24 months from the date of submission. If the enquiry does not result in a project, the data is deleted after 24 months.
• Client Project Files: Retained for up to 12 months after project completion. This allows us to reference previous work if you return for additional projects. After 12 months, project files are securely deleted unless you request earlier deletion or we have a legal obligation to retain them.
• Payment Records: Retained for up to 7 years as required by Indian tax and accounting regulations.
• Newsletter Subscriber Data: Retained until you unsubscribe. When you unsubscribe, your email address is removed from our mailing list within 7 business days.
• Website Analytics Data: Aggregated analytics data is retained for up to 26 months. This data is anonymised and does not identify individual users.
• Communication Records: Emails and WhatsApp messages related to active or recent projects are retained for up to 24 months after the last communication. Routine enquiries that do not result in projects are deleted after 12 months.

If you request deletion of your data before the standard retention period, we will comply within 30 business days, except where we have a legal obligation to retain the information.

9. Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal information. These rights apply regardless of your location, though specific enforcement mechanisms may vary by jurisdiction.

• Right to Access: You have the right to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you. We will provide this information in a commonly used electronic format within 30 business days of your request.
• Right to Correction: You have the right to request correction of any inaccurate or incomplete personal information we hold about you. We will make corrections within 15 business days of your request.
• Right to Deletion: You have the right to request deletion of your personal information, subject to our legal obligations to retain certain data (such as payment records for tax purposes). We will process deletion requests within 30 business days.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Where we process your data based on your consent (such as newsletter subscriptions), you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing that occurred before the withdrawal.
• Right to Data Portability: You have the right to request your personal information in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format so that you can transfer it to another service provider.
• Right to Object: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information for certain purposes, including direct marketing.
• Right to Lodge a Complaint: If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority in your jurisdiction.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at hello@anna99words.site with the subject line "Privacy Rights Request." We will verify your identity before processing your request and respond within 30 business days.

10. Indian Data Protection Compliance

We are committed to complying with applicable Indian data protection laws, including the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act) and the Information Technology Act, 2000. We process personal data based on legitimate purposes and with appropriate consent where required. We implement reasonable security practices and procedures as prescribed under Indian law to protect personal data from unauthorised access, use, or disclosure.

If you are an Indian resident and have concerns about how your personal data is being processed, you may contact us directly or file a complaint with the Data Protection Board of India (once established and operational under the DPDP Act).

11. International Data Transfers

Some of our third-party service providers may process or store data on servers located outside India. When your data is transferred internationally, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, including contractual obligations on the service provider to protect your data in accordance with standards equivalent to those applicable in India. We only use service providers that demonstrate adequate data protection practices.

12. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including social media platforms (Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook), client websites (in our portfolio section), and external tools or resources mentioned in our blog articles. These third-party websites have their own privacy policies, and we are not responsible for their privacy practices. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of any third-party website before providing personal information or interacting with their services.

13. Children's Privacy

Our website and services are designed for businesses and professionals. They are not directed at individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18 years of age. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under 18, we will take steps to delete that information as soon as possible. If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us immediately.

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or business operations. When we make changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. For significant changes that materially affect how we handle your personal information, we will make reasonable efforts to notify you — such as posting a prominent notice on our website or sending an email to registered users. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data handling practices, please contact us through any of the following channels:

• Email: hello@anna99words.site (preferred for privacy-related enquiries)
• Phone / WhatsApp: +91 8555 882 961
• Postal Address: Anna 99 Words, Budha Vihar Colony, Near R.T.O. Office, Soot Mill Chauraha, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh 202001, India

We aim to respond to all privacy-related enquiries within 5 business days. For formal rights requests (access, correction, deletion), we will respond within 30 business days as stated in Section 9 above.