Privacy Policy

Who We Are

star-k.in is operated by STAR-K Certification, Inc. (“STAR-K”, “we”, “us”), 122 Slade Ave, Suite 300, Pikesville, MD 21208, USA. For the purposes of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, STAR-K is the Data Fiduciary: it decides why and how personal data collected through this website is processed.

Questions about this policy or your data, and grievances, can be sent to our India Region Contact at elizabeth@star-k.org or +91 8129881888, or to our global office at rabbimushell@star-k.org or +1 410-484-4110.

What We Collect

• Enquiry form: your name, email address, company, country, the products you want certified, your message, and the type of request you choose.
• Application form: if you apply online, the company, contact, product and facility details the application asks for.
• Email and phone: anything you choose to send us directly.
• Usage data, only with your consent: if you accept analytics cookies, Google Analytics records how the site is used, such as pages viewed, approximate location, device and browser, and how you arrived. See Cookies and Analytics.

The site is meant for businesses and is not directed at children. Please do not send us personal data about children, or sensitive details such as health or financial information.

Why We Use It

• To answer your enquiry and send the information you ask for.
• To assess and process an application for kosher certification and related services.
• To follow up on your enquiry or application.
• If you consent to analytics, to understand how the site is used and improve it.
• To meet legal obligations and protect our rights.

We process your personal data on the basis of your consent, given when you send us an enquiry or application or accept analytics cookies, and for legitimate uses the Act permits, such as complying with the law. We use it only for the purposes above. We do not sell your personal data, and we do not use it for advertising.

Is Providing It Required?

Your name and email address are needed for us to reply. The other fields are optional, but leaving them out may mean we need to ask you for them before we can help. Analytics cookies are entirely optional.

Who We Share It With

• STAR-K staff who handle enquiries and certification, in India and at our headquarters in the United States.
• Service providers that process data for us as Data Processors, under contract: our website host, Google (Analytics, if you consent; web fonts; the map on our Contact page), Jotform (the online application form) and our email provider.
• Authorities, if the law requires it.

Transfers Outside India

STAR-K is based in the United States and our service providers may store data in the US, Europe or elsewhere. The Act allows personal data to be transferred outside India except to countries the Central Government restricts. We will not transfer your data to a restricted country, and we remain responsible for your data when it is processed abroad.

Cookies and Analytics

The site sets one small cookie to remember your cookie choice. Analytics cookies from Google Analytics are set only if you select “Accept” in the cookie banner. If you decline, no analytics cookies are stored.

You can change your choice at any time using Cookie settings, also in the footer of every page. You can also block or delete cookies in your browser.

Our Contact page shows an embedded Google Map, and the site loads fonts from Google. These connect your browser to Google, which receives your IP address.

How Long We Keep It

We keep enquiry details for as long as needed to deal with your enquiry and any follow-up, and generally for no longer than three years after our last contact, after which we erase them unless the law requires us to keep them. Information that becomes part of a certification file is kept for as long as the certification relationship and our record-keeping obligations require. Analytics data is kept according to Google Analytics retention settings.

Your Rights

Under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 you have the right to:

• withdraw your consent at any time, as easily as you gave it (this does not affect processing already done);
• obtain a summary of the personal data we hold about you and how we process it, and the identities of those we have shared it with;
• have your personal data corrected, completed, updated or erased;
• have your grievances addressed by us;
• nominate another person to exercise your rights if you die or become incapable.

Email elizabeth@star-k.org with your request or grievance. We may need to confirm your identity. We reply as soon as we can and within the time the law sets (for grievances, no later than 90 days). If you are not satisfied with our response, you may complain to the Data Protection Board of India.

Security

The site uses HTTPS, and access to enquiries and applications is limited to the people who need it. No system is completely secure, so please do not send passwords or financial details through the forms. If a personal data breach affecting you occurs, we will inform you and the Data Protection Board of India as the law requires.

Links to Other Sites

The site links to other websites, including star-k.org and our partners. Their privacy practices are their own.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy. The date at the top shows when it last changed.