DATA PRIVACY STATEMENT

This website collects natural history data voluntarily contributed by registered and authenticated users, who are requested to contribute images and associated data on Indian biodiversity through the data submission form as per the guidelines provided here. Additional textual data and observations may be submitted through the Biodiversity Atlas – India mobile app or through an email to the editors. All these data are displayed on the natural history websites under the Biodiversity Atlas - India web platform as a free, public-goods scientific resource for nature educational, outreach and scientific purposes.

The use of mobile app and creation of individual profiles required for contributing to the website and using the mobile app require that registering users submit one email address, mobile phone number, at least the year of birth, and at least one social media handle, during the registration process. The email address and mobile number are required to reset passwords or reinstall mobile app or provide support if users face any issues. Individual information (such as year of birth and city of residence) is requested only to understand the overall profile of our users so that we can improve our platform for the users and to provide summaries of user profiles for our internal reports. A social media handle is requested to be able to know our contributors. The email address, mobile phone number and social media handle may also be used to contact the contributors if editors have any questions about the website submissions. This information is gathered for the safety of this platform, by ensuring that persons registering are real individuals with a genuine interest in natural history and in contributing to this community resource, and that the natural history data contributed by them will be honest and reliable. This information is kept strictly confidential and is not shared with anyone under any circumstances, without a possibility of commercial use. The websites and the underlying data are stored on institutional servers in non-profit, non-commercial research institutions within India that are supported by various agencies of Government of India.

Copyright of the images submitted to this website remains copyright of the contributing photographers. Contributed images and associated individual data observations are not shared outside of the website without the knowledge and consent of the contributors. However, the dataset of observations compiled through this web platform and mobile app may be used for scientific research and publications by scientists and naturalists, and shared with various government agencies such as state forest departments, without the need of individual consents. Individual contributions are accepted on the explicit understanding that the compiled datasets are under the stewardship of the BioAtlasIndia consortium, and may be used for scientific purposes (such as data analysis and writing of scientific research papers), shared with government agencies such as state forest departments and various Ministries for the purpose of biodiversity, wildlife and nature conservation, or used for non-profit outreach and educational publications (posters, brochures, books, mobile apps, etc.), at the discretion of the editors and partnering institutions that spearhead this citizen science platform and associated projects.

When compiled data are used for the above purposes, maximum effort will be made to acknowledge the contributors either as individuals or as a citizen science platform consortium members, wherever possible. However, contributors should understand, before making their contributions, that it may sometimes not be possible to mention photo credits or consult individually with every contributor before using the compiled data and/or sometimes individual images for non-profit, non-commercial scientific, outreach, educational and conservation purposes. While we sincerely make our best efforts to protect your copyright and credits, it should be clearly understood that data and images are contributed as a greater good towards these goals, with the trust that we are all working on a voluntary, non-commercial basis, without prejudice and self-interest, towards the greater good of the environment, ecology, biodiversity, nature conservation, education, and a healthy advancement of human society. Website editors and partnering institutions also support and serve this platform and individual websites to serve this greater societal good.

Contributors of individual data observations agree to voluntarily contribute individual data observations and images on these conditions.

Page citation

Kunte, K., and S. Sondhi. 2024. DATA PRIVACY STATEMENT . In Kunte, K., S. Sondhi, and P. Roy (Chief Editors). Butterflies of India, v. 4.12. Indian Foundation for Butterflies.