Privacy Policy – Squad66

🏍️ 1. Introduction

Welcome to Squad66 (“we”, “us”, “our”) — a disciplined biking community built on trust, safety, and shared passion for the road. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your Personal Information and Sensitive Personal Data or Information (SPDI) when you visit our website at squad66.in, use our mobile application, register as a member, or participate in any of our rides, events, or community activities.

By registering, accessing, or using our services, you consent to the practices described in this policy. This policy is governed by the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the IT (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011 of India.

📖 2. Definitions

Personal Information: Any data that can identify you directly or indirectly — such as your name, phone number, email address, or vehicle details.
Sensitive Personal Data or Information (SPDI): Includes passwords, financial/payment information, biometric data (e.g., attendance check-ins), health or safety-related data, and any related information as defined under Indian IT Rules 2011.
Member / User / Provider of Information: You, the individual who accesses squad66.in, registers for membership, joins a ride, downloads our app, or interacts with our community.
Services: All offerings provided by Squad66 including the website, mobile app, group rides, events, calendar, news feed, membership registration, and community forums.

📋 3. Information We Collect

We collect only what is necessary to deliver our services and build a safe riding community. This includes:

3.1 Personal Information

Full name, phone number, and email address (collected at registration)
City/location and riding experience level
Emergency contact details (optional but recommended for ride safety)
Motorcycle details: make, model, registration number (for ride planning and safety)

3.2 Sensitive Personal Data or Information (SPDI)

Account passwords (stored in hashed/encrypted form — never in plain text)
Payment details for event/ride registrations (processed via secure third-party gateways; we do not store card numbers)
Biometric or attendance data (e.g., check-in records at ride meetpoints, if you opt in)

SPDI is collected only with your explicit written or electronic consent as required by Indian law.

3.3 Ride & Event Data

Ride registration details, route preferences, and participation history
Photos and videos taken during group rides or events that you choose to share with the community
Feedback and ride reviews submitted through the app or website

3.4 Usage & Device Data

IP address, browser type, device model, and operating system
Pages visited on squad66.in, links clicked, time spent, and session data
App usage statistics and interaction logs (for improving our platform)

3.5 Communications Data

Messages or enquiries submitted via our contact form or WhatsApp
Sponsorship enquiry details submitted via the Sponsor Registration form

🎯 4. How We Use Your Information

We collect and use your data strictly for the following purposes:

Account Creation & Management: To register you as a Squad66 member and manage your profile.
Ride & Event Planning: To organise group rides, assign participants, share route details, and coordinate logistics.
Safety & Emergency Response: To contact you or your emergency contact in case of a road incident or safety concern during a ride.
Community Feed & Calendar: To personalise your experience on the news feed, upcoming events calendar, and riding-days planner.
Mobile App Functionality: To deliver app features including notifications for upcoming rides, event updates, and community posts.
Communication: To send you ride confirmations, safety briefings, event reminders, and important community announcements via email, SMS, or WhatsApp.
Payments: To process registration fees or event payments through secure third-party payment gateways.
Product Analytics & Improvement: To understand how members use our platform and improve features, content, and user experience.
Sponsorship & Partner Management: To process and manage sponsor enquiries and partnerships.
Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable Indian laws, tax regulations, and law enforcement requests.
Marketing (with explicit consent): To share updates about new rides, upcoming tours, merchandise, and community news.

We do not collect data beyond what is necessary for these stated purposes.

📣 5. Marketing & Community Communications

Squad66 may use your contact details to send you:

Ride announcements and upcoming event alerts
Community news, safety tips, and riding guides via our News & Feed sections
Information about partner offers (e.g., gear, accessories, or bike services from our sponsors such as Idemitsu, Aditya KTM, or DIS-38 Helmet)

All marketing communications are sent only with your explicit consent. You may opt out at any time by:

Adjusting notification preferences in the Squad66 app settings

Opting out of marketing will not affect your access to core community and ride services.

✅ 6. Consent & Your Choices

Your consent is obtained through one of the following methods:

Electronic checkbox during membership registration at squad66.in/register/
Explicit opt-in for specific communications (e.g., marketing emails, sponsor offers)

You may withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us. Withdrawal of consent may affect service delivery (for example, we may be unable to notify you about upcoming rides if you withdraw communication consent). Withdrawal of consent does not affect lawful processing carried out prior to withdrawal.

⚖️ 7. Your Rights Under Indian Law

As a user and Provider of Information, you have the following rights:

Right to Access: Request a copy of the Personal Information or SPDI we hold about you.
Right to Correction: Ask us to update or correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to Withdraw Consent & Request Deletion: Withdraw consent and request that your data be deleted, subject to legal retention requirements.
Right to Grievance Redressal: Lodge a complaint with our Grievance Officer (see Section 15) for any data-related concerns.

All requests will be acknowledged and processed within 30 days, as required under the applicable Indian IT Rules.

🗓️ 8. Data Retention

We retain your data only for as long as necessary for the stated purposes or as required by applicable Indian law (including tax and financial record-keeping regulations). Specifically:

Active member data is retained for the duration of your membership.
Ride and event participation records may be retained for up to 3 years for legal and safety audit purposes.
Payment transaction records are retained as required under Indian GST and financial laws.
Upon account deletion or explicit request, personal data is securely deleted or anonymised, subject to legal hold requirements.

🔗 9. Disclosure to Third Parties

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. Disclosure is limited to the following cases:

Service Providers: Hosting providers, SMS/email gateway providers, and payment processors who are contractually bound to maintain equivalent data protection standards as required under IT Rules 2011.
Sponsorship Partners (with your consent): Sponsors such as Idemitsu, Aditya KTM, DigiInk, and others may receive basic contact details only if you explicitly opt in to their communications.
Legal & Regulatory Requests: We may disclose data in response to lawful written requests from government authorities or courts, clearly stating the purpose. Recipients are barred from further disclosure.
Corporate Events (e.g., merger or acquisition): You will be notified in advance, and your consent will be sought where required.

No SPDI is disclosed to any third party without your prior explicit permission, except as required by law.

🌐 10. Cross-Border Data Transfer

Squad66 is an India-based community and primarily stores data on servers within India. If any data transfer outside India becomes necessary (e.g., due to cloud hosting or analytics providers), such transfer will occur only if:

The recipient country or organisation ensures a comparable level of data protection as mandated by Indian law.
The transfer is necessary for the performance of our services or your explicit consent has been obtained.

All cross-border transfers use encryption both in transit (TLS 1.3) and at rest (AES-256).

🔒 11. Security Practices

Squad66 is committed to protecting your data. Our security measures include:

Encryption: TLS 1.3 for data in transit; AES-256 for data at rest.
Access Controls: Role-based access and multi-factor authentication for platform administrators.
Password Protection: Member passwords are stored in hashed form and never in plain text.
Regular Audits: Periodic security reviews and vulnerability assessments.
Incident Response: A documented response plan aligned with CERT-In guidelines in case of a data breach.

In the event of a data breach affecting your rights, we will notify affected users promptly as required under applicable Indian law.

🍪 12. Cookies & Tracking

Squad66’s website (squad66.in) uses first-party cookies and local browser storage to:

Maintain your login session and authentication state.
Remember your preferences (e.g., language, notification settings).
Compile aggregate usage analytics (with IP masking) to improve site performance.

We do not use third-party advertising or tracking cookies without your explicit opt-in consent. You may manage cookie preferences through your browser settings; however, disabling essential cookies may affect website functionality.

👶 13. Policy for Minors

Squad66’s services and rides are intended for individuals aged 18 years and above. We do not knowingly collect Personal Information from anyone under the age of 18. If a minor registers on our platform, we will delete such data promptly upon notification. Parents or guardians who believe their child has provided us with personal data may contact us at s66@squad66.co.in.

📱 14. Mobile Application

Squad66 has a dedicated mobile app (available on Google Play). The app may request access to:

Location (for ride tracking and meetpoint navigation — only when in use and with your permission)
Camera (for uploading ride photos to the community feed)
Push notifications (for ride reminders and community updates — you may disable these in your device settings)

We collect only the minimum data required for app functionality. App data is subject to the same protections described in this policy.

📝 15. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, Indian law, or best practices. Any material changes will be:

Posted on this page with a revised Effective Date
Communicated to active members via email or app notification for significant changes

Your continued use of Squad66’s services after any update constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

📞 16. Grievance Officer & Contact

In accordance with the IT (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011, we have designated a Grievance Officer to address any complaints or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy or your data:

We are committed to addressing your privacy concerns promptly, transparently, and in accordance with Indian law.