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—forum-policy [2026/07/22 17:44] (current) – created - external edit 127.0.0.1
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 +{{htmlmetatags>metatag-keywords=(rti wiki forum policy,ugc policy india,dpdp forum compliance,intermediary guidelines forum,forum grievance officer)&metatag-title=(RTI Wiki Forum Policy DPDP and IT Rules 2021 India)&metatag-description=(Forum Policy for RTI Wiki — DPDP Act 2023 and IT Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code Rules 2021 compliance.)}}
 +
 +
 +====== Forum Policy — DPDP & IT Rules Compliance ======
 +
 +
 +
 +
 +{{ :social:auto:forum-policy.png?direct&1200 |Forum Policy — DPDP & IT Rules Compliance — RTI Wiki}}
 +
 +<WRAP center round info 95%>
 +**Quick Reply:** Forum Policy for RTI Wiki — DPDP Act 2023 and IT Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code Rules 2021 compliance.
 +</WRAP>
 +
 +<WRAP center round info 95%>
 +**Effective 21 April 2026.** This Forum Policy governs user comments, replies, and reactions on **righttoinformation.wiki** (the "Site"), including the aggregated **[[:forum|RTI Wiki Forum]]**. It is published in compliance with the **Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021** ("IT Rules, 2021") and the **Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023** ("DPDP Act, 2023") read with the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025. Read it together with our **[[:privacy-policy|Privacy Policy]]** and **[[:disclaimer|Disclaimer]]**.
 +</WRAP>
 +
 +===== 1. Who we are and what the forum is =====
 +
 +  * **"RTI Wiki"** (also referred to as "we", "us", "our") is the publisher of the Site at righttoinformation.wiki, operated by **Bighelpers Software and Solutions Pvt. Ltd.**.
 +  * **The forum** is a collection of user-generated comments posted against individual articles on the Site. The **[[:forum|/forum]]** page aggregates all comments in a Reddit-style feed.
 +  * **We are an "intermediary"** under Section 2(1)(w) of the Information Technology Act, 2000. We host user comments but do not initiate, select the receiver of, or modify the content of any comment posted by users.
 +
 +===== 2. Contributor responsibility — "You own what you post" =====
 +
 +==== 2.1 Authorship ====
 +
 +  * **You own the copyright** in the comments you post. You grant RTI Wiki a **perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive licence** to display, archive, cache, moderate, and make available your comments on the Site and in any derivative forum pages / digests, solely for the purpose of operating this Site.
 +  * **You are responsible for your comments.** The views expressed in any comment are those of the author alone and do not represent RTI Wiki, its editors, instructors, or advertisers.
 +
 +==== 2.2 Accuracy ====
 +
 +  * You confirm that your comments are **true to your own knowledge**.
 +  * **Legal advice.** Comments on this forum are **not** legal advice. RTI Wiki articles cite statute and case law; user comments do not.
 +  * **Personal disputes.** Do not name third parties in a defamatory manner. Keep comments case-general or factual.
 +
 +===== 3. Prohibited content =====
 +
 +You may **not** post, reply to, or otherwise transmit content that:
 +
 +  - Is **defamatory, obscene, pornographic, paedophilic, invasive of another's privacy including bodily privacy, insulting or harassing on the basis of gender, libellous, racially or ethnically objectionable, relating or encouraging money laundering or gambling**, or otherwise inconsistent with or contrary to the laws in force (per Rule 3(1)(b)(ii) of the IT Rules, 2021);
 +  - Is **harmful to a child** (Rule 3(1)(b)(iii) of the IT Rules, 2021);
 +  - **Infringes any patent, trademark, copyright or other proprietary rights** (Rule 3(1)(b)(iv) of the IT Rules, 2021);
 +  - **Violates any law for the time being in force** (Rule 3(1)(b)(v) of the IT Rules, 2021);
 +  - **Deceives or misleads the addressee about the origin of the message** or knowingly communicates any information that is patently false or misleading, whether deliberately or inadvertently; contains misinformation;
 +  - **Impersonates** another person;
 +  - **Contains software viruses** or any other computer code designed to interrupt, destroy or limit the functionality of any computer resource;
 +  - **Threatens the unity, integrity, defence, security or sovereignty of India**, friendly relations with foreign states, or public order; causes incitement to the commission of any cognisable offence; prevents investigation of any offence; is insulting to any other nation;
 +  - Is a **patently false online game for consideration** or an advertisement / surrogate advertisement or promotion thereof;
 +  - **Violates any law relating to online gambling, betting or wagering**;
 +  - **Contains personal information** of another identifiable natural person (phone number, Aadhaar / PAN, address, financial account details, medical history) unless that person has consented.
 +
 +===== 4. Moderation =====
 +
 +  * **Human moderation.** All comments are reviewed by the RTI Wiki editorial team. We may **remove, unlist, edit for redaction, or refuse to publish** comments that violate this Policy.
 +  * **Spam filters.** We run automated spam detection (CAPTCHA, honeypot fields, and keyword screens). Borderline entries may be held in a pre-publication queue.
 +  * **We do not pre-screen all comments.** Our review is best-effort; comments may go live before moderation. If you see a violation, use the takedown route in Section 7.
 +  * **No duty to retain.** Removed comments are permanently deleted and do not persist in backups beyond our standard 90-day retention window.
 +
 +===== 5. Data protection and privacy =====
 +
 +==== 5.1 What data we collect when you post ====
 +
 +  * **Mandatory:** a display name and an email address (for reply notifications).
 +  * **Optional:** your URL / website.
 +  * **Automatic:** your IP address (for spam prevention and legal compliance), timestamp, and the article slug you posted against.
 +  * **If you are a registered user:** your username and any profile fields you have voluntarily shared.
 +
 +==== 5.2 Legal basis ====
 +
 +  * Processing your comment is **necessary** to render the service you have requested (posting a public comment).
 +  * Under the **DPDP Act, 2023**, we process your personal data on the basis of your **legitimate interests** in participating in a public forum and on the basis of **specific, free, informed consent** captured when you submit your comment.
 +
 +==== 5.3 Data sharing ====
 +
 +  * **Your comment and display name are public.** Assume anything you post is indexed by search engines.
 +  * **Your email and IP address are not displayed publicly.** They are retained for the purposes set out in Section 5.1.
 +  * **We do not sell** your personal data.
 +  * We share data only with authorised processors (hosting, email delivery) under contract and on a need-to-know basis, and with law-enforcement on receipt of a lawful demand.
 +
 +==== 5.4 Your rights under the DPDP Act, 2023 ====
 +
 +You have the right to:
 +
 +  * **Access** the personal data we hold about you.
 +  * **Correction and erasure** of any personal data.
 +  * **Nominate** another person to exercise your rights in the event of your incapacity or death.
 +  * **Withdraw consent** — send a request to ''[email protected]''. We shall act within thirty (30) days.
 +  * **Lodge a grievance** with our Grievance Officer (Section 8) and, if unresolved, escalate to the Data Protection Board of India established under the DPDP Act.
 +
 +==== 5.5 Retention ====
 +
 +  * **Your comments** are retained so long as the article to which they relate is live, or until you ask for their removal, whichever is earlier.
 +  * **Your IP address and email** are retained for **180 days** after the comment is posted, or for the period prescribed by law (whichever is longer), for the purposes of spam prevention and legal compliance.
 +
 +===== 6. Liability and safe harbour =====
 +
 +==== 6.1 Intermediary status (Section 79, IT Act, 2000) ====
 +
 +  * RTI Wiki is entitled to the **"safe harbour" protection** under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
 +  * **We are not liable for user comments** posted on the Site, provided we comply with the due-diligence requirements of the IT Rules, 2021.
 +  * **We lose safe harbour only if**: (i) we have actual knowledge of unlawful content and fail to remove it within the statutory timeline; (ii) we aid, abet or induce the commission of an unlawful act; or (iii) we fail to observe due diligence.
 +
 +==== 6.2 No endorsement ====
 +
 +  * A comment on this Site is **not** an endorsement by RTI Wiki, its editors, advertisers, sponsors, or the CPD course instructors.
 +  * **No reliance.** Nothing in the forum should be relied upon as legal advice. For legal advice, consult a qualified advocate.
 +
 +==== 6.3 Limitation of liability ====
 +
 +To the fullest extent permitted by law:
 +
 +  * **We are not liable** to any user or third party for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, punitive, or consequential damages arising out of, or in connection with, any user-generated content on the Site.
 +  * **We make no warranty** that the forum is free of errors, defamation, or misleading content, notwithstanding our moderation.
 +  * **The entire risk** of reliance on user comments remains with you.
 +
 +===== 7. Takedown — how to ask us to remove a comment =====
 +
 +==== 7.1 Users ====
 +
 +To report a comment that violates this Policy:
 +
 +  - Email ''[email protected]''.
 +  - Include: the article URL, a link or quote identifying the comment, the nature of the violation (Section 3 ground), and your contact details.
 +  - We acknowledge within 24 hours and decide within 72 hours, per Rule 3(2)(a) of the IT Rules, 2021.
 +  - If we remove the comment, we notify the commenter with a summary of the ground.
 +
 +==== 7.2 Rights-holders (copyright, trademark, personality) ====
 +
 +  * Furnish a formal notice under the Copyright Act, 1957 / Trademarks Act, 1999 / Section 79 IT Act, 2000 with the requisite particulars.
 +  * We take the content down pending investigation, as required by law.
 +
 +==== 7.3 Court or government orders ====
 +
 +  * We comply with lawful orders from Indian courts or authorised government officers under Section 69A IT Act, 2000 or cognate provisions.
 +  * We may inform the affected user of the nature and extent of the order unless restrained.
 +
 +===== 8. Grievance Officer =====
 +
 +In accordance with Rule 3(2) of the IT Rules, 2021 and Section 8 of the DPDP Act, 2023:
 +
 +  * **Grievance Officer:** the designated Grievance Officer of Bighelpers Software and Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
 +  * **Email:** ''[email protected]''
 +  * **Response time:** acknowledgement within **24 hours**; resolution within **15 days** of receipt (shorter statutory deadlines apply to specific categories; see the IT Rules, 2021).
 +  * **Escalation:** if your grievance is not resolved to your satisfaction, you may approach the **Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC)** set up under Rule 3A of the IT Rules, 2021, or the **Data Protection Board of India** under the DPDP Act, 2023.
 +
 +===== 9. Changes to this Policy =====
 +
 +  * We may update this Policy when the law changes or Site features change.
 +  * **Material changes** will be highlighted at the top of this page with a revised "Last reviewed" date.
 +  * Continued use of the forum after a material change signifies your acceptance of the revised Policy.
 +
 +===== 10. Governing law and jurisdiction =====
 +
 +  * This Policy and any disputes arising out of or in connection with it are governed by the laws of the Republic of India.
 +  * Subject to mandatory jurisdiction rules, the courts at **New Delhi** (where the Grievance Officer is based) shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute.
 +
 +===== Related =====
 +
 +  * [[:forum|RTI Wiki Forum (home)]]
 +  * [[:privacy-policy|Privacy Policy]]
 +  * [[:disclaimer|Disclaimer]]
 +  * [[:corrections|Report a correction]]
 +  * [[:join|Create a free account]]
 +
 +===== Sources =====
 +
 +  * Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 + DPDP Rules, 2025
 +  * Information Technology Act, 2000 — Sections 2(1)(w), 79, 69A
 +  * Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021
 +
 +----
 +
 +//Last reviewed: 11 July 2026 — named the operating entity (Bighelpers Software and Solutions Pvt. Ltd.), made the Grievance Officer role unnamed, and confirmed [email protected] as the grievance contact. (Originally effective 21 April 2026.)//
 +
 +{{tag>policy legal forum intermediary dpdp liability}}
  
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