Privacy Matters
privacy policy
Your privacy is important to us – just as knowing how we use your information is important to you. Our Privacy Portal gives you full visibility of how we collect, use, share and protect your personal information when you use our products, services and our website.
We've broken this information down into chunks so you can find the details you need as quickly and easily as possible.
Last updated - 31st December, 2020
Who we are :
This Privacy Policy (Policy) explains the collection, use, protection, disclosure, sharing and transfer, if any, of “personal information” by Us Your registration or usage of Vodafone Idea Limited’s services implies your express consent and agreement to this Privacy Policy.
collection of personal information
Collection of Personal Information :
a. The Information Technology Act 2000 and its subsequent amendments includes extensive definitions for Personal Information and Sensitive Personal Information. For the purposes of this Policy, Personal Information (PI) includes Personally Identifiable Information that is information relating to a natural individual or that could be used directly or indirectly in combination with other information available with Us and is capable of identifying a natural individual and Sensitive Personal Information which may reveal, or be related to or constitute financial data, health data (example Blood Group) , official identifier (example Proof of identity submitted at the time of activation of services), biometric data (of employees only) , passwords (to help you securely access your own accounts only ) , etc.
b. Personal Information does not include information that is anonymous, aggregated or is no longer identifiable to a natural person.
c. We and our authorised third parties (Our partners, vendors and affiliates) may collect PI pertaining to:
i. Your identity, demographics and any other information shared by you including but not limited to your name, address, gender, data of birth, occupation, proof of identity, proof of address documents included in the customer application form and other service request forms.
ii. Your use of Our network, products and services e.g. call data records, including phone numbers, phone location, device details (incl. device OS specific identifiers), phone usage, web usage, purchasing habits, browsing history, website, applications and offline services etc.
iii. Your browsing preferences through cookies, web beacons etc.,
iv. Your communication history with Us for customer support e.g. note , call recording, email or letter etc.
Use of Personal Information
a. The information that we collect from you is held and used in accordance with applicable laws and regulations in India. It may be used to :
i. verify your identity before providing services
ii. contact you/respond to you regarding matters relevant to the underlying services
iii. generate bills and statements of use
iv. Data Analytics that help us get valuable insights to enhance customer experience as well as improve upon service delivery.
v. to keep you informed about our latest products, services and offers and that of our carefully selected third parties . However, You may refuse to receive such messages from us at any time by following these steps.
vi. to provide such additional services or products for instance, services that use geographic location to inform you about changes to the service or product via messages and alerts
vii. to administer rewards and loyalty programmes
viii. to respond to any network, services or product related queries
ix. Carry out any activity in connection with a legal, governmental or regulatory requirement on us or in connection with legal proceedings, crime or fraud prevention, detection or prosecution ;
x. to be included in a telephone or similar directory or directory enquiry service provided or operated by us or by a third party (subject to Your preference you may have indicated to us in writing)
xi. to develop innovative and customised products and services by carrying out research and statistical analysis of customer use of our network, products and services on an anonymous or personalized basis
xii. to provide, maintain and improve our services
xiii. Settling accounts with those who provide related services to us
xiv. to action out legal, governmental or regulatory requirement
xv. to conduct personnel training, quality control, network monitoring, testing and maintenance of computer and other systems
xvi. Other usages that you may have expressly consent to
how long do we store your data?
If there is no legal requirement, we may only store Your information for as long as we have the justified business requirement and we need it for providing services to you.
How long do we store Your data ?
a. We may retain Your information for so long as We are obligated to as per the legal, regulatory directions for the time being in force.
b. If there is no legal requirement, we may only store Your information for as long as we have the justified business requirement and we need it for providing services to you.
c. After that, We will destroy it by making it unreadable or undecipherable with appropriate regard to privacy and security.
How do We Protect Your Personal Information
a. We will strive on best effort basis to ensure the security of Your information. Access to Your Personal Information, within VIL is restricted and shared with VIL personnel on a need to know basis. All VIL personnel are obligated to protect confidentiality and ensure security as per VIL’s Code of Conduct and confidentiality policies. We adopt reasonable security practices and procedures, in line with international standard IS/ISO/IEC 27001 administered by specialized security teams to include, technical, operational, managerial and physical security controls in order to protect Your personal information. It may suit You well to note that no data transmission over the Internet is completely secure and for reasons outside of our control, security risks may still arise.
b. We also take steps to ensure that our contracted third parties adopt reasonable level of security practices and procedures to ensure security of personal information.
c. We cannot protect any information that you make available to the general public in any publicly accessible area of our website or any other media.
use of cookies and technologies
This Cookie Statement is a part of and subject to the Privacy Policy. This statement explains the collection and use of various Cookies by Us. We periodically update and revise this Cookie Statement and would strongly urge you to revisit this page from time to time.
What are Cookies?
a. Cookies are text files containing small amounts of information which are downloaded to your computer or mobile device that enable our website platforms to remember You as per Your usage of Our platforms. They also allow Us to provide You with a personalised/customised feed for an enjoyable experience.
What are the different types of Cookies used?
b. We may sometimes use a persistent cookie to record details such as a unique user identity and general registration details downloaded on Your Personal Computer. This helps Us recognize You on subsequent visits to this website so that You don't have to re-enter Your registration details each time you visit Us.
c. During the usage of our mobile apps’ platforms, we may collect and use Device Identifiers (unique random number) called Advertising/Device ID typically assigned by the mobile operating system software. Device Identifiers are used by the mobile advertisement networks to identify and remember Your device uniquely to send you personalised marketing communications or advertisements.
How do we use the information collected through Cookies?
d. Using cookies and device identifiers, we may compile information about Your usage of our website and gain insights as to where You, or others who are using Your computer or mobile devices, saw the advertisements and determine which advertisements are clicked. This information allows our advertising partners to deliver personalised advertisements that they believe will be of most interest to You.
e. We do not have access to or control of the cookies /device identifiers that may be placed and used by third party applications, websites, or platforms. These third-party sites have separate and independent privacy policies. We, therefore, have no responsibility or liability for the content and activities of these third-party sites. Nonetheless, we seek to protect the integrity of our website/applications.
How can You ‘opt out’ of Cookies?
f. Most browser technologies (such as Internet Explorer, Chrome, etc.) allow You to choose whether to accept cookies or not. You can either refuse all cookies or set Your browser to alert You, each time a website tries to set a cookie. Most mobile operating systems allow users to reset the Advertising/Device ID by selecting the ‘Ads’ setting to ‘limit tracking’ on their mobile devices. This would amount to opting out of cookies used for targeted advertisements. In case You choose to disable the cookies certain functionalities on the website may not be available, which may impact the services we may provide to you.
Contact Us
g. In case of any feedback, concern or queries regarding privacy and security, you may reach us at privacyofficer@vodafoneidea.com and ctiorm.support@vodafoneidea.com
Disclosure, Sharing and Transfer of Personal Information
1. Disclosure, Sharing and Transfer of Personal Information
a. We store Your PI within the territorial limits of India.
b. As stated before, we may disclose or share Your PI with :
i. Authorised Third Parties : including Partners or agents who are involved in delivering the products and services You may have ordered or used; Customer Verification agencies, Credit-reference agencies, fraud-prevention agencies, business-scoring agencies or other credit-scoring agencies; Debt-collection agencies or other debt-recovery organizations ;Emergency services (if you make an emergency call),Our IT vendors hosting our websites and applications; operating various features available on the website and applications; sending emails; analyzing data; providing search results and links and assisting in fulfilling Your orders; Website Analytics vendors and agencies and Mobile App Analytics vendors and agencies. Such Third Parties will be contractually obligated to ensure privacy and security of Your personal information.
We may share Your PI with any other entity or organization only in case it is necessary for providing services to you or if you have consented (at the time of collection of information or at the time of fresh notice sent to you seeking your consent) to the same. If you have provided consent, it may be noted that VIL will not be in control of the PI (shared with such entity or data generated based on your usage of such entity’s services) and Privacy Policy of such entity shall apply with respect to Your PI.
ii. Government and Law Enforcement Agencies: for verification of identity, prevention, detection, investigation of, including but not limited to cyber incidents, prosecution, and punishment of offences
iii. Marketing Agencies: If you have opted to receive marketing material from us, we may also provide Your personal or anonymized information to carefully selected third parties who we reasonably believe provide products or services that may be of interest to you and who are contractually obligated to maintain confidentiality and privacy of Your PI.
For completeness we note that where such contact is via electronic means, our terms and conditions record our agreement with you that the SMS marketing messages we and our selected third parties send, need not include an unsubscribe facility.
2. Other Scenarios:
a. We may transfer Your PI in connection with a merger or sale (including any transfers made as part of an insolvency or bankruptcy proceeding) involving all or part of our business or as part of a corporate reorganization, stock sale or other change in control. We may disclose Contact Information in special cases where we have reason to believe that disclosing this information is necessary to identify, contact or bring legal action against someone who may be violating our terms and conditions of use or may be causing injury or interference with our rights, property, our customers or anyone who could be harmed by such activities.
contact us
I hereby acknowledge that I have read this privacy notice and consent for my data to be collected, processed, shared and stored by VIL in accordance with the procedures and policies mentioned herein.
I hereby give my consent to VIL to collect, process ,share, store and anonymise my Sensitive Personal Data in accordance with the procedures and policies mentioned herein
frequently asked questions
what is personal data?
Generally, personal data means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person. It includes your name, email address, telephone number, or mailing address, and other information that directly identifies who you are. It also includes information that may be used to uniquely identify you, or a device you use, such as a cookie, or unique identifier.
how do you collect personal data from me?
We collect your personal through the following means:
- During first time registration for a new connection
- During registration for any VAS or product and while using the same
- While porting in from another telecommunications provider
what types of personal data do you collect?
We collect the following types of personal data as and when required:
- Personal: Includes but not limited to – Name, Date of Birth, PAN Number, Gender, Address, Nationality, Father/Mother’s Name, Blood Group
- Professional: Includes CTC Details, Salary, Employee Investment Details
- Financial: Includes Payment Card Number, expiry date, CVV/CVC, Bank Account Name and Number
- Subscriber: Includes but is not limited to: SIM Number, IMEI and IMSI Number, Mobile Number, Usage Details, Credit History
- Behavioral: Includes SMS Patterns, VAS service pattern, roaming patterns, Voice calling pattern
what do you use the data for?
VIL is committed to only collecting and using personal data for lawful purposes. We use your data for the following purposes:
- service delivery and product improvement
- marketing, events, and promotions
- improve internal operations
- prevent fraud, security and compliance
what legal bases do you rely on to process my personal data?
VIL relies upon the following legal bases to process personal data, including
- your consent, which is revocable,
- our performance of the contract that we have entered into with you,
- our endeavor to remain in compliance to various Indian and international legal obligations and protect the vital interest of an individual,
- performance of an activity in the public interest, as well as our own legitimate interests as a company.
how do I know that my personal data you maintain about me is safe?
VIL is committed to protecting the personal data that you provide to us and has an established record of integrating secure practices. VIL is certified in ISO 27001:2013 which validates that VIL has an appropriate Information Security Management System in place. VIL is Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliant and continues to work with independent external assessors ensure its continued compliance in this area.
how do I manage my email preferences or stop receiving email from VIL?
You can update your information, review your communication preferences, or stop receiving further communications from us by speaking to VIL Customer Care.
what are my rights?
Your rights include the following:
- Right to confirm access or usage of Personal Data
- Right to correction and update of Personal Data
- Right to erase Personal Data
- Right to Data Portability
- Right to restrict/prevent further processing of Personal Data
what are cookies?
A cookie is a small piece of data that a website asks your browser to store on your computer or mobile device. Cookies allow a website to identify a user's device whenever that user returns to the website and are commonly used to make websites work more efficiently and enrich the user experience, as well as to provide information about your use of the site.
what types of cookies does VIL use?
- Strictly Necessary: These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. Disabling these cookie makes the features and service of the site unavailable.
- Functionality: These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalization. They may be set by us or by third-party providers whose services we have added to our pages.
- Performance: These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site.
- Targeting: These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites.
how long do cookies stay on my device?
There are two types of cookies that we may store on your device:
- Session cookies which exist for brief periods and are automatically deleted when you close your web browser.
- Persistent cookies are not deleted when you close your browser and expire when a pre-configured time has passed.
how can I manage cookies?
Most current browsers (like Google Chrome, Safari, Firefox and so on) allow you to manage cookies stored on your computer. You may choose to reject all cookies, but this may result in our website not being accessible or having degraded functionality.
what are some safety rules to be followed by children (Individuals aged below 18)?
It is the responsibility of every parent to teach basic internet and mobile safety rules to their child. Some of them are listed below:
- Don’t reveal any personal identity information such as your birthday, hobbies, hometown or school to anyone.
- In any information exchange, like e-mail or chat, never give any personal information about yourself or someone else.
- Do not share photos of yourself, your family, or your home with people you meet online.
- Never open e-mails that come from unknown sources.
- If you receive mean or threatening comments online, do not respond. Log off and report the activity to your parents.
- Never make plans to meet an online “friend” in person.
- WHEN IN DOUBT: Always ask your parents for help. If you’re not sure, log off.
warning and fraudulent
do not respond to fraudulent SMSs or lottery prizes or calls from unknown international numbers
check only genuine sources of information on COVID-19 to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. avoid forwarding non-verified information on social media to avoid spreading panic
about business opportunities
about a lottery you have won
missed calls from unknown international numbers
asking you to call back on international numbers to check quality of service / network
about employment opportunities with Vi™
asking for a commission to obtain a huge sum of money or premium numbers or connections
asking for your name, address, bank account number, etc. as a proof to claim a prize
about fake advertisements asking to open unknown links
please do not call any unidentified international number as it may result in higher call charges. Vi™ does not directly or indirectly subscribe to any of the above activities and does not actively or otherwise encourage them.
frequently asked questions
What is Phishing?
Phishing is the fraudulent attempt to obtain sensitive information, or data, such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by disguising oneself as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. Typically carried out by email spoofing or instant messaging, phishing often directs users to enter personal information at a fake website which matches the look and feel of the legitimate site.
How can I identify a Phishing scam?
- In the body of an email, you might see questions asking you to “verify” or “update your account” or “failure to update your records will result in account suspension.” It is usually safe to assume that no credible organization to which you have provided your information will ever ask you to re-enter it, so do not fall for this trap.
- Any email that asks for your personal or sensitive information should be seriously scoured and not trusted. Even if the email has official logos or text or even links to a legitimate website, it could easily be fraudulent. Never give out your personal information.
What should we keep in mind to avoid phishing attacks?
Below are some preventive measures you should undertake in the wake of this situation:
- Do not open or click on any attachment in unsolicited emails, SMS or messages through social media.
- Exercise extra caution in opening attachments, even if the sender appears to be known.
- Beware of email addresses, spelling errors in emails, websites or unfamiliar email senders.
- Do not submit personal financial details on unfamiliar or unknown websites or links.
- Beware of emails or links providing special offers like COVID-19 testing, aid, prizes, rewards or cashback offers.
- Check the URLS before providing login credentials or clicking a link, by hovering over it.
- Consider using Safe Browsing tools, filtering tools (antivirus and content-based filtering) in your antivirus, firewall and filtering services. Update spam filters regularly.
- Always protect attachments with passwords prior to sending via email. You may also use MyShare.
- Report any unusual activity to Vil.Cdc@vodafoneidea.com immediately.
Security Awareness
safe internet use for your children
The technology timeline for kids and teens is far from straightforward. Not every kid/teenager uses the same technology. Factors such as the child’s maturity level; parents’ view; and access to devices at home, school and friend’s houses come into play.
With this in mind, we are sharing an ‘essentials’ checklist for parents of children of any age, which highlights the actions you should take for your whole family.
These are by no means definitive lists (the tech world moves far too quickly to be able to promise that!) but they are a good starting point. We hope you find them useful.
For more details, visit www.vodafone.com/content/digital-parenting.html
quick ‘Essentials’ checklist
- THINK about how you guide your family in the real world and do the same in the digital world. Don’t be afraid to set boundaries and rules for your child from a young age.
- MAKE the most of tools like Parental Controls on computers, mobiles and games consoles; privacy features on social networking sites; and safety options on Google and other search engines.
- HAVE a go at some of the technology your son or daughter enjoys. Play on them together or ask them to help set you up on Facebook if you’re not already a member.
- TRY not to use technology as a babysitter too often. We all do it sometimes but it’s important to know what your child is doing.
- MAKE digital issues part of everyday conversation. Show your child that you understand how important technology is to them and talk about all its amazing benefits, but don’t shy away from difficult subjects like responsible online behaviour, bullying and pornography.
- SET specific internet guidelines for your children to live by and consistently enforce consequences if they are not being followed. Manage your children’s time on the internet.
- UNDERSTAND Internet Privacy Policies as they apply to your child. Parents should be aware of these for protecting their children’s privacy on the web. Find out more here: http://www.ftc.gov/privacy/privacyinitiatives/childrens.html
parental control tools
other free software that can be accessed:
Free, enterprise-class security software designed for home computers
a simple, web-based dashboard that gives info at a glance. Whether kids use family computer, personal laptop, tablet, or mobile phone.
tips for safe internet use for children and young adults
- Create strong passwords for different websites using a good mix of alphabets, numbers and special characters and make sure that you do not disclose your passwords to anyone (except your parents)
- Don’t reveal personal information like name, address, date of birth, school details, passport number, credit card numbers, telephone numbers or family members’ names, or location details/whereabouts on social websites (especially when you are alone at home).
- Don’t befriend strangers. Ensure that your group involves only people known to you in person (such as friends and family). If someone approaches you, ensure that you are escorted with a responsible elder/parent and meet only in public places where many people are around.
- Restrict the viewership of your social account/site to only those who are well known to you. Always use security and privacy settings of websites to access and manage your profile information from time to time.
- If anyone bothers you or is unfriendly, use ‘block’ or ‘unfriend’ tools available on social sites. Should you receive any strange/unfriendly/abusive request or communication, immediately bring it to the notice of parents/elders in the family.
- Keep police and emergency numbers saved in your mobile contacts.
- Don’t over-share pictures of home, yourself or your family on the internet. Never share your personal pictures or information without first checking with your parents/responsible elder.
- Pay specific attention to the language you use online and think before you post your pictures/videos/updates. Avoid posting information when you are angry or emotionally disturbed.
- Make sure that you log in/sign in and log out/sign out of your accounts.
- Before downloading/installing any app or software on your computer/mobile phone, it is good to first check with your parents or responsible elder to avoid damage to your device or jeopardize privacy.
- Don’t say or do anything that would hurt other people’s feelings or, that is against the law and puts you in bad light.
- Disclose your correct age when signing up on websites to ensure safe use of the internet. Visit only those websites that are relevant for your age. If you inadvertently click any website that displays adult content or any offensive/abusive content, close such websites immediately and keep your parents/responsible elder informed.
- Make sure that your computer/tablet/mobile phone has up-to-date security software as well as parental control software installed for safe internet use.
- Fix scheduled timings with your parents to access social sites and adhere to them. Meet your friends in person and play with them outdoors.
- Be aware of certain activities that are treated as cybercrimes by law:
- cyber stalking – where someone is repeatedly and persistently followed and pursued online by email or other electronic means.
- cyber bullying – where someone harasses, embarrasses, taunts, insults or uses threatening behaviour by using internet, email or other electronic means.
- child pornography – where someone captures/displays/sends images or videos of child/children (below 18 years) in an obscene or indecent (i.e. sexually explicit) manner.
- pornography – where someone captures/displays/sends images or videos of the private body parts of any person without his/her consent.
- hacking – where someone accesses or uses the computer/laptop/mobile or email or social sites’ accounts of another person without authorization/consent of that person (such as Gmail, Facebook, Twitter and other such social networking sites). This includes destroying or deleting or altering any information residing on such devices/websites.
- identity theft – where someone uses the password or any other unique identification feature of another person without authorization/consent of that person.
- cyber terrorism – where someone attempts to gain access to a computer/laptop/mobile without authorization/consent or causes denial of access to that person who is authorized to access that computer/laptop/mobile.
- offensive communication – where someone sends any grossly offensive information of another person which is known to be false for the purpose of annoying, inconveniencing, insulting, deceiving, or taking vengeance.
effortless account management on-the-go
PLEASE READ THIS PRIVACY POLICY CAREFULLY. “YOU” AND “YOUR” SHALL REFER TO THE CUSTOMER OR SUBSCRIBER OR USER OF VODAFONE IDEA LIMITED’s PRODUCTS AND SERVICES, WEBSITE [www.myvi.in, www.vodafoneidea.com] OR APPLICATIONS (hereinafter ‘services’). “WE,” “OUR” OR “US” SHALL REFER TO VODAFONE IDEA LIMITED (hereinafter ‘VIL’), PROVIDING OR OFFERING SERVICES TO YOU.
Our Privacy Policy is designed and developed to understand, uphold and protect the privacy and security of Your personal information.
This Privacy Policy (Policy) explains the collection, use, protection, disclosure, sharing and transfer, if any, of “personal information” by Us Your registration or usage of VIL’s services implies your express consent and agreement to this Privacy Policy
We reserve our right to amend this Privacy Policy from time to time based on changes in business, legal, regulatory requirements & applicable laws. You are encouraged to periodically visit this page to review the Policy.
This Privacy Policy is provided for Your information and is not intended to limit or exclude Your rights under laws and regulations applicable in India.