Privacy Policy

Website: www.ootacamunddiocese.org

Operated by: The Nilgiris Diocesan Society, on behalf of the Diocese of Ootacamund (Roman Catholic Diocese)

Last updated: 17-08-2026

The Diocese of Ootacamund (“we”, “us”, “our”) respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect through www.ootacamunddiocese.org (the “Site”), how we use it, and the choices you have.

1. Information We Collect

a) Information you give us directly

• Contact form: When you use the “Send Your Message” / Contact Us form, we collect the information you enter — typically your name, email address, phone number (if provided), and the content of your message.
• Email subscription: If you subscribe for email updates (“Subscribe for Emails”), we collect your email address to send you diocesan news and updates.

b) Information collected automatically This Site is built and hosted on a third-party website platform. Like most websites, it may automatically collect certain technical information when you visit — such as your IP address, browser type, device type, pages viewed, and referring website — through cookies and similar technologies provided by our hosting platform. This is used to help the Site function properly and to understand general visitor patterns; it is not used to personally identify you.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Respond to messages and enquiries sent through the Contact form;
• Send diocesan news, announcements, and updates to those who subscribe;
• Maintain and improve the functioning of the Site;
• Comply with applicable legal obligations.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes.

3. Sharing of Information

We may share information with:

• Service providers who help us operate the Site (for example, our website hosting or email-delivery provider), solely to perform services on our behalf;
• Diocesan staff or clergy where necessary to respond to your specific enquiry (for example, forwarding a message to the relevant parish or office);
• Legal or regulatory authorities, if required to do so by law or to protect the rights, safety, or property of the diocese or others.

We do not share your information with third parties for their own independent marketing use.

4. Cookies

Our hosting platform may use cookies (small files stored on your device) to enable core site functionality, remember preferences, and gather anonymized usage statistics. You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings; please note that some parts of the Site may not function as intended if cookies are disabled.

5. Photographs and Media

This Site may feature photographs from diocesan events, parishes, institutions, and gatherings, which can include images of clergy, religious, staff, students, and community members. These are published as part of our record of diocesan life and activities. If you appear in a photograph on this Site and would like it removed, please contact us using the details below and we will consider your request promptly.

6. Data Retention

We retain contact-form messages and subscriber email addresses for as long as reasonably necessary to respond to your enquiry or to continue providing the updates you’ve subscribed to, or until you ask us to delete them, whichever comes first.

7. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect the personal information submitted through this Site against unauthorized access, loss, or misuse. However, no method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Your Rights

Under India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and other applicable law, you may have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you;
• Request correction of inaccurate information;
• Request deletion of your information (for example, unsubscribing from emails or asking us to remove a contact-form submission);
• Withdraw consent for us to contact you, at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details in Section 10 below. You can also unsubscribe from email updates at any time using the link provided in those emails.

9. Children’s Privacy

This Site is not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children via the Contact form or email subscription without appropriate parental or guardian involvement. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can remove it.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how your information is handled, please contact:

Diocese of Ootacamund Bishop’s House, Post Box No. 5, Wood Cock Road, St. Mary’s Hill, Udhagamandalam – 643 001, The Nilgiris District, Tamil Nadu, India

Phone: +91-423-2442366 / 2441604 Email: bishopooty@gmail.com | secretaryooty@gmail.com

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, the Site’s features, or legal requirements. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page shows when it was last revised. We encourage you to review this page periodically.