Privacy Policy & Cookies

Summary of key points

This summary provides key points from our privacy notice. You can find out more details about any of these topics by using our table of contents below to find the section you are looking for.

What personal information do we process? When you visit, use, or navigate our Services, we may process personal information depending on how you interact with Akaar Studio and the Services, the choices you make, and the products and features you use.

Do we process any sensitive personal information? We may process sensitive personal information when necessary with your consent or as otherwise permitted by applicable law.

Do we receive any information from third parties? We do not receive any information from third parties.

How do we process your information? We process your information to provide, improve, and administer our Services, communicate with you, for security and fraud prevention, and to comply with law. We may also process your information for other purposes with your consent. We process your information only when we have a valid legal reason to do so.

In what situations and with which parties do we share personal information? We may share information in specific situations and with specific third parties.

What are your rights? Depending on where you are located geographically, the applicable privacy law may mean you have certain rights regarding your personal information.

How do you exercise your rights? The easiest way to exercise your rights is by contacting us at hello@akaarstudio.com. We will consider and act upon any request in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

Want to learn more about what Akaar Studio does with any information we collect? Read the full notice below.

Personal information you disclose to us

In Short: We collect personal information that you provide to us.

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when you express an interest in obtaining information about us or our products and Services, when you participate in activities on the Services, or otherwise when you contact us.

Personal Information Provided by You. The personal information that we collect depends on the context of your interactions with us and the Services, the choices you make, and the products and features you use. The personal information we collect may include the following:

• names
• email addresses
• mailing addresses

Sensitive Information. When necessary, with your consent or as otherwise permitted by applicable law, we process the following categories of sensitive information:

• precise geolocation data

All personal information that you provide to us must be true, complete, and accurate, and you must notify us of any changes to such personal information.

Information automatically collected

In Short: Some information — such as your Internet Protocol (IP) address and/or browser and device characteristics — is collected automatically when you visit our Services.

We automatically collect certain information when you visit, use, or navigate the Services. This information does not reveal your specific identity (like your name or contact information) but may include device and usage information, such as your IP address, browser and device characteristics, operating system, language preferences, referring URLs, device name, country, location, information about how and when you use our Services, and other technical information. This information is primarily needed to maintain the security and operation of our Services, and for our internal analytics and reporting purposes.

Like many businesses, we also collect information through cookies and similar technologies. You can find out more about this in our Cookie Notice in section 5 below.

The information we collect includes:

• Log and Usage Data. Log and usage data is service-related, diagnostic, usage, and performance information our servers automatically collect when you access or use our Services and which we record in log files. Depending on how you interact with us, this log data may include your IP address, device information, browser type, and settings and information about your activity in the Services (such as the date/time stamps associated with your usage, pages and files viewed, searches, and other actions you take such as which features you use), device event information (such as system activity, error reports, and hardware settings).
• Device Data. We collect device data such as information about your computer, phone, tablet, or other device you use to access the Services. Depending on the device used, this device data may include information such as your IP address (or proxy server), device and application identification numbers, location, browser type, hardware model, Internet service provider and/or mobile carrier, operating system, and system configuration information.
• Location Data. We collect location data such as information about your device's location, which can be either precise or imprecise. How much information we collect depends on the type and settings of the device you use to access the Services. For example, we may use GPS and other technologies to collect geolocation data that tells us your current location (based on your IP address). You can opt out of allowing us to collect this information either by refusing access to the information or by disabling your Location setting on your device. However, if you choose to opt out, you may not be able to use certain aspects of the Services.

In Short: We process your information to provide, improve, and administer our Services, communicate with you, for security and fraud prevention, and to comply with law. We may also process your information for other purposes with your consent.

We process your personal information for a variety of reasons, depending on how you interact with our Services, including:

• To respond to enquiries and provide services. We process your information to respond to your contact form submissions, emails, and other enquiries.
• To deliver and improve our Services. We process your information to maintain, improve, and optimise our website and the services we offer.
• To send marketing communications. Where you have given consent, we may process your information to send you updates about our work, projects, and services.
• To comply with legal obligations. We may process your information where required to comply with applicable laws in India, the Gulf region, or the European Union.
• To save or protect an individual's vital interest. We may process your information when necessary to save or protect an individual's vital interest, such as to prevent harm.

In Short: We only process your personal information when we believe it is necessary and we have a valid legal reason (i.e. legal basis) to do so under applicable law, like with your consent, to comply with laws, to provide you with services, to fulfil our contractual obligations, to protect your rights, or to fulfil our legitimate business interests.

Akaar Studio is based in Bangalore, India and serves clients across India, the Gulf region (Saudi Arabia, Oman, UAE), and Europe. Depending on where you are located, different data protection laws may apply. We rely on the following legal bases to process your personal information:

• Consent. We may process your information if you have given us clear, informed consent to use your personal information for a specific purpose. You can withdraw your consent at any time.
• Contractual Necessity. We may process your information where it is necessary to perform a contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract.
• Legal Obligations. We may process your information where we believe it is necessary for compliance with our legal obligations under Indian law (including the DPDP Act 2023), GDPR (for European clients), or other applicable regulations.
• Legitimate Interests. We may process your information where it is reasonably necessary for our legitimate business purposes, provided it does not override your rights.
• Vital Interests. We may process your information where we believe it is necessary to protect your vital interests or the vital interests of a third party, such as situations involving potential threats to the safety of any person.

In legal terms, Akaar Studio is the 'Data Fiduciary' under India's DPDP Act 2023 and the 'data controller' under the GDPR for the personal information described in this privacy notice. This privacy notice does not apply to personal information we process on behalf of our clients under a data processing agreement — in those situations, the client is the data controller/fiduciary responsible for your personal information.

In Short: We may share information in specific situations described in this section and/or with the following third parties.

We may need to share your personal information in the following situations:

• Service Providers. We may share your information with hosting, analytics, and email platforms that process data on our behalf under data processing agreements.
• Professional Advisors. We may share your information with lawyers, accountants, and other professional advisors bound by confidentiality obligations.
• Business Transfers. We may share or transfer your information in connection with, or during negotiations of, any merger, sale of company assets, financing, or acquisition of all or a portion of our business to another company.
• Legal Requirements. We may disclose your information where required by applicable law, governmental requests, judicial proceedings, or court orders.

In Short: We may use cookies and other tracking technologies to collect and store your information.

We may use cookies and similar tracking technologies (like web beacons and pixels) to access or store information. We use three categories of cookies:

• Essential cookies — required for the site to function; cannot be disabled.
• Analytics cookies — help us understand how visitors use the site (e.g., page views, session duration).
• Preference cookies — remember your settings and choices.

You can manage or disable non-essential cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling essential cookies may affect site functionality.

In Short: We keep your information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this privacy notice unless otherwise required by law.

We will only keep your personal information for as long as it is necessary for the purposes set out in this privacy notice, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law (such as tax, accounting, or other legal requirements).

When we have no ongoing legitimate business need to process your personal information, we will either delete or anonymise such information, or, if this is not possible (for example, because your personal information has been stored in backup archives), then we will securely store your personal information and isolate it from any further processing until deletion is possible.

In Short: Depending on your location, you have rights that allow you greater access to and control over your personal information. You may review, change, or request deletion of your data at any time.

Under applicable data protection laws — including India's DPDP Act 2023 and the GDPR (for users in Europe) — you may have the following rights: (i) to request access and obtain a copy of your personal information, (ii) to request correction or erasure, (iii) to restrict the processing of your personal information, (iv) to data portability where applicable, and (v) to object to the processing of your personal information. You can make such a request by contacting us using the details provided in section 11 below.

We will consider and act upon any request in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

If you believe we are unlawfully processing your personal information, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority in your jurisdiction — such as the Data Protection Board of India, or your local supervisory authority in the EU/UK.

Withdrawing your consent: If we are relying on your consent to process your personal information, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. You can withdraw your consent by contacting us using the details provided in section 11 below.

However, please note that this will not affect the lawfulness of the processing before its withdrawal, nor will it affect the processing of your personal information conducted in reliance on lawful processing grounds other than consent.

Cookies and similar technologies: Most web browsers are set to accept cookies by default. If you prefer, you can usually choose to set your browser to remove cookies and to reject cookies. If you choose to remove cookies or reject cookies, this could affect certain features or services of our Services.

If you have questions or comments about your privacy rights, you may email us at hello@akaarstudio.com.

Most web browsers and some mobile operating systems and mobile applications include a Do-Not-Track ('DNT') feature or setting you can activate to signal your privacy preference not to have data about your online browsing activities monitored and collected. At this stage, no uniform technology standard for recognising and implementing DNT signals has been finalised. As such, we do not currently respond to DNT browser signals or any other mechanism that automatically communicates your choice not to be tracked online. If a standard for online tracking is adopted that we must follow in the future, we will inform you about that practice in a revised version of this privacy notice.

In Short: Yes, depending on where you are located, you may be granted specific rights regarding access to your personal information under local data protection laws.

If you are located in India:

Under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 (DPDP Act), you are recognised as a 'Data Principal' and have the right to: (i) access a summary of the personal data we hold about you, (ii) request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data, (iii) request erasure of your personal data where it is no longer necessary, (iv) nominate another person to exercise your rights in the event of your death or incapacity, and (v) file a grievance with our Grievance Officer. If your grievance is not resolved within 30 days, you may approach the Data Protection Board of India.

If you are located in the Gulf region (Saudi Arabia, Oman, UAE):

We respect the data protection frameworks applicable in the Gulf region, including Saudi Arabia's Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) and the UAE's Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021. You may have rights to access, correct, and request deletion of your personal data. Please contact us using the details in section 11 to exercise any of these rights.

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA) or United Kingdom:

Under the GDPR and UK GDPR, you have the right to access, rectify, erase, restrict, and port your personal data, as well as the right to object to processing. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection supervisory authority.

Data we collect and how long we keep it:

We have collected the following categories of personal information in the past twelve (12) months:

Category	Examples	Collected
A. Identifiers	Contact details such as name, email address, and phone number	YES
B. Internet or similar network activity	Browsing history, search history, and interactions with our website	NO
C. Geolocation data	Device location	YES
D. Professional information	Business contact details, job title	NO
E. Sensitive Personal Information	Precise geolocation	YES

Will your information be shared with anyone else?

We may disclose your personal information with our service providers pursuant to a written contract between us and each service provider. Each service provider processes the information on our behalf, following the same strict privacy protection obligations mandated by applicable law.

Akaar Studio has not sold or shared any personal information to third parties for a business or commercial purpose in the preceding twelve (12) months. Akaar Studio will not sell or share personal information belonging to website visitors, users, and other consumers.

Your rights with respect to your personal data:

• You may request deletion of your personal information.
• You may request to know what personal information we collect, the purposes for which it is used, and whether it has been shared with third parties.
• You may object to the processing of your personal information.
• You may request correction of your personal data if it is incorrect or no longer relevant.
• You may designate an authorised agent to make a request on your behalf.

To exercise these rights, you can contact us by email at hello@akaarstudio.com, or by referring to the contact details at the bottom of this document.

In Short: Yes, we will update this notice as necessary to stay compliant with relevant laws.

We may update this privacy notice from time to time. The updated version will be indicated by an updated 'Last Updated' date at the top of this page, and the updated version will be effective as soon as it is accessible. If we make material changes to this privacy notice, we may notify you either by prominently posting a notice of such changes or by directly sending you a notification. We encourage you to review this privacy notice frequently to be informed of how we are protecting your information.

If you have questions or comments about this notice, you may email us at hello@akaarstudio.com.

Akaar Studio is the Data Fiduciary (under India's DPDP Act 2023) and data controller (under the GDPR) of your personal information.

Grievance Officer:
Akaar Studio
Bangalore, India
Email: hello@akaarstudio.com

We are committed to responding to all grievances within 30 days, as required by the DPDP Act 2023.

Based on the applicable laws of your country, you may have the right to request access to the personal information we collect from you, change that information, or delete it. To request to review, update, or delete your personal information, please email us at hello@akaarstudio.com with the subject line "Data Request".

We will acknowledge your request within 72 hours and aim to fulfil it within 30 days. If we are unable to fulfil your request, we will explain why.