Privacy Policy – Mock Guru

1. Introduction & Legal Basis

Who We Are: Mock Guru is an online educational platform providing mock tests, study materials, and learning tools for competitive exam preparation (UPSC, SSC, Banking, Railways, OSSC, OPSC).

Contact Information:

• Website: https://mockguru.in
• Email: support@mockguru.in
• Data Protection Officer: dpo@mockguru.in

Legal Framework: This Privacy Policy complies with:

• Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP Act), 2023
• Information Technology Act, 2000
• Consumer Protection Act, 2019
• Indian Contract Act, 1872

2. Information We Collect

Account Information (Provided by You):

• Full name and email address
• Phone number
• Date of birth
• Postal address
• Exam preferences (UPSC, SSC, Banking, etc.)
• Payment information (processed securely, we do NOT store card details)
• Password and account credentials

Behavioral & Performance Data:

• Mock test scores and rankings
• Performance analytics and progress tracking
• Time spent on questions and topics
• Study patterns and preferences
• Search queries within the platform
• Content access history

Technical & Device Information:

• IP address
• Device type (mobile, tablet, desktop)
• Operating system and browser type
• Pages visited and time spent
• Referring website or app
• Interaction data (clicks, scrolls, form submissions)

Cookie & Tracking Data (See Section 8):

• First-party cookies (Mock Guru analytics)
• Third-party cookies (Google AdSense, Google Analytics)
• Pixel tags and tracking codes
• Cross-domain tracking data

3. How We Use Your Information

Service Delivery:

• Create and manage your account
• Provide access to mock tests and study materials
• Generate performance reports and analytics
• Send login credentials and account notifications
• Process payments and issue receipts
• Provide customer support

Communication:

• Send service updates and feature announcements
• Reminder emails for subscriptions and mock tests
• Performance reports and study suggestions
• Promotional emails (with opt-out option)
• Account security alerts

Personalization & Advertising:

• Display personalized mock tests based on your exam choice
• Show Google AdSense ads personalized to your interests
• Recommend study materials and courses
• Segment users for targeted advertising
• Conduct A/B testing to improve the platform

Analytics & Research:

• Analyze user behavior and platform performance
• Identify trends and improve content
• Conduct educational research
• Monitor and prevent fraud and abuse
• Ensure service security and compliance

Legal Compliance:

• Comply with government requests and legal obligations
• Enforce our Terms & Conditions
• Protect intellectual property rights
• Prevent fraud and illegal activities

4. Advertising & Google AdSense

How AdSense Works: Mock Guru uses Google AdSense to display personalized ads on our platform. This means:

• Google collects data about your browsing history across websites
• Google creates an interest profile and shows relevant ads
• Ads are personalized based on your demographics, interests, and behavior
• Google sets cookies and tracking pixels on Mock Guru

DoubleClick Cookie: Google's DoubleClick cookie tracks your:

• Browsing behavior on Mock Guru and other websites
• Search history and interests
• Interaction with ads

Your Opt-Out Options:

1. Google Ad Settings: Visit https://adssettings.google.com to control personalized ads
2. Network Advertising Initiative (NAI): https://optout.networkadvertising.org
3. Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA): https://optout.aboutads.info
4. Browser Settings: Disable cookies in your browser settings
5. European Users: Additional GDPR rights available at https://www.google.com/gdpr

Google's Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy

How Google Uses Ads: https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads

5. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

What are Cookies? Small text files stored on your device to recognize you and remember preferences.

First-Party Cookies (Mock Guru):

Cookie Name	Purpose	Duration
session_id	Keep you logged in	Until logout
user_preferences	Remember your settings	1 year
analytics_tracking	Track user behavior	2 years
last_visited	Track last visit time	30 days

Third-Party Cookies:

• Google Analytics: Tracks user engagement and site performance
• Google AdSense: Displays personalized ads (DoubleClick cookie)
• Facebook Pixel: Tracks conversions for social media ads
• Payment Gateways: Cashfree Payments for secure transactions

Disable Cookies:

• Chrome: Settings → Privacy → Cookies and other site data
• Firefox: Preferences → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
• Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Cookies and website data
• Edge: Settings → Privacy → Clear browsing data

Note: Disabling cookies may affect platform functionality.

6. Third-Party Vendors & Data Sharing

We share your data with the following trusted partners ONLY for service delivery:

Vendor	Purpose	Data Shared	Privacy Policy
Cashfree Payments	Payment processing	Name, email, phone, amount	cashfree.com/privacy
Google AdSense	Personalized ads	Browsing behavior, interests, demographics	policies.google.com/privacy
Google Analytics	Analytics & performance tracking	IP address, device info, behavior data (anonymized)	policies.google.com/privacy
Cloudflare	Security & CDN services	IP address, device info	cloudflare.com/privacy
Email Service Provider	Send emails & newsletters	Email, name, exam preference	Varies by provider
SMS Service Provider	Send SMS notifications	Phone number, name	Varies by provider

We DO NOT sell your personal data to third parties for marketing.

When We Share Data: Data is shared only when necessary to provide services, with secure data processing agreements in place.

7. International Data Transfers

Data Storage: Your data is primarily stored in India on secure servers.

International Transfers: Some vendors (Google, Cloudflare) may process your data internationally. These vendors comply with GDPR and DPDP Act requirements.

Your Consent: By using Mock Guru, you consent to international data processing as described.

8. Children's Privacy (COPPA Compliance)

Age Requirement: Mock Guru is intended for users 13 years and older.

Parental Consent: For users under 18, we recommend parental oversight of account activity.

No Targeted Tracking: We do NOT knowingly:

• Collect data from children under 13
• Display targeted ads to users under 18
• Use sophisticated tracking for minors

If You Are Under 13: Do not create an account. If we discover a user is under 13, we will delete their account and data.

Parents/Guardians: If your child is using Mock Guru under 13, contact support@mockguru.in immediately to request account deletion.

9. Your Data Rights & User Control

Under DPDP Act 2023, you have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of your data
• Correct: Update or fix inaccurate information
• Delete: Request permanent deletion of your data
• Portability: Receive your data in machine-readable format
• Objection: Opt-out of personalized ads and marketing emails
• Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent for data processing

How to Exercise Your Rights: Contact our Data Protection Officer at dpo@mockguru.in with:

• Your name and email
• Specific request (access, delete, etc.)
• Proof of identity

Response Time: We will respond within 30 days.

10. Data Retention & Deletion

How Long We Keep Your Data:

• Active Account: Data retained while account is active
• After Cancellation: Account data retained for 90 days (in case of recovery requests)
• After 90 Days: Data permanently deleted (except legal/tax records)
• Performance Data: Retained for 1 year for analytics purposes
• Transaction Records: Retained for 7 years (legal/tax compliance)
• Support Tickets: Retained for 2 years for dispute resolution

Permanent Deletion: Request data deletion anytime. After 30 days of your request, all personal data is permanently removed (except legal records).

11. Data Security & Protection

Security Measures We Use:

• SSL/TLS encryption for all data in transit
• AES-256 encryption for sensitive data at rest
• Secure password hashing (bcrypt)
• PCI-DSS compliance for payment processing
• Regular security audits and penetration testing
• Firewall protection and DDoS mitigation
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA) available for accounts

Your Responsibility: You are responsible for:

• Keeping your password confidential
• Logging out of shared devices
• Reporting unauthorized access immediately
• Using a secure internet connection

12. Data Breach Notification

In Case of a Data Breach: If we detect unauthorized access to your personal data, we will:

• Notify you via email immediately
• Provide details of the breach
• Advise steps to protect yourself
• Comply with legal notification requirements

Report Security Issues: If you discover a vulnerability, contact dpo@mockguru.in

13. Legal Basis for Data Processing

We process your data based on:

• Consent: Your explicit agreement to this Privacy Policy
• Contract: Necessary to provide services (subscription terms)
• Legal Obligation: Compliance with Indian laws (IT Act, DPDP Act)
• Legitimate Interest: To improve services and prevent fraud
• Vital Interest: To protect your safety and rights

14. Data Protection Officer

Mock Guru has designated a Data Protection Officer (DPO) to ensure compliance with DPDP Act 2023.

Contact the DPO:

• Email: dpo@mockguru.in
• Phone: Available through support@mockguru.in
• Response Time: Within 24-48 hours

You can contact the DPO to:

• File data privacy complaints
• Request data access or deletion
• Report data security issues
• Ask questions about our privacy practices

15. Complaint & Grievance Redressal

If you have concerns about our data practices:

1. Contact our DPO at dpo@mockguru.in
2. We will investigate within 30 days
3. We will provide a resolution or explanation
4. If unsatisfied, you may escalate to the Data Protection Board of India (DPBI)

Consumer Protection Act: You also have rights under Consumer Protection Act, 2019. Complaints may be filed with:

• District Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission
• State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission

16. Marketing & Promotional Communications

Marketing Emails: We may send you promotional emails about new features, courses, or exam updates.

Opt-Out: Each email includes an "Unsubscribe" link. Click it to stop receiving marketing emails.

SMS Marketing: We will send SMS only with your explicit consent. Reply "STOP" to opt out.

Push Notifications: You can disable notifications in your device settings or account preferences.

17. Changes to Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically.

Notification: Changes will be published on this page with an updated date. Significant changes will be emailed to you.

Continued Use: Your continued use of Mock Guru after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

18. Contact & Support

For privacy-related questions or concerns, please contact us:

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Your Privacy is Our Priority.
Mock Guru - India's Trusted Online Mock Test Platform