At Rice Roots (https://riceroots.in), we respect your right to privacy and the control you have over your personal information. This policy provides detailed instructions on how you can request the deletion of your data from our systems.

1. Our Commitment to Data Sovereignty

We believe that users should have the "Right to be Forgotten." Whether you are a casual reader of our rice research or a customer who has purchased products, you have the absolute right to request that we remove your personal information from our databases.

2. What Data Is Subject to Deletion?

When you submit a data deletion request, Rice Roots will remove the following:

• Personal Identity Information: Name, username, and profile biography.

• Contact Information: Email address, phone number, and shipping/billing addresses.

• Interaction Data: Newsletter subscriptions, comment history on research posts, and saved preferences.

• Transactional Records: While we are legally required to keep some records for tax and accounting purposes (see Section 5), your personal profile linked to those orders will be anonymized or removed.

3. How to Request Data Deletion

We provide two primary methods for you to request the removal of your data:

A. Via Email (Recommended)

Please send an email from your registered email address to info@riceroots.in

• Subject Line: DATA DELETION REQUEST - [Your Full Name]

• Body: Clearly state that you wish for your account to be closed and all associated personal data to be permanently deleted.

B. Via User Dashboard (If Applicable)

If you have a registered account on our website:

1. Log in to your account.

2. Navigate to Account Settings > Privacy.

3. Click on the "Request Data Deletion" button.

4. The Deletion Process & Timeline

Once a request is received, the following steps are taken:

1. Verification: Within 48 hours, we will send a verification link to your email to ensure the request is legitimate.

2. Processing: Once verified, our technical team (led by our founders) will begin the purging process from our active servers.

3. Completion: Your data will be fully deleted within 30 days of the initial request. You will receive a final confirmation email once the process is complete, after which we will have no way to contact you.

5. Exceptions & Legal Retention

Please note that we may be unable to delete certain information due to legal obligations:

• Financial Records: Information related to purchases (invoices) must be retained for at least 5-7 years for tax audit purposes in compliance with UAE and Indian laws.

• Security: Data required to prevent fraud or ensure the security of our website may be kept in a secure, encrypted archive.

6. Third-Party Data

Rice Roots uses certain third-party tools (like payment gateways or email marketing software). When you request deletion from us, we will also trigger deletion requests with these sub-processors where possible.