1. Introduction
Digital Buddhism is an independent bilingual educational and practice-oriented initiative developed for the systematic study, understanding and application of Buddhist teachings — the Buddha-Dharma — in daily life.
It presents Buddhist doctrine, philosophy, history and meditation in depth where necessary, but gives particular importance to the practical application of the Dharma through mindful living, meditation, ethical conduct, reflection and responsible participation in family and society. Practices such as mindfulness and Vipassanā meditation will therefore be presented not merely as subjects of study, but as methods of cultivating awareness, understanding and wholesome ways of living.
Digital Buddhism is intended especially to make Buddhist teachings accessible and meaningful to lay learners and practitioners, while also maintaining due respect for the monastic Saṅgha and the traditional role of bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs. Its broader educational purpose is to help Buddhist principles and ways of practice become relevant to ordinary life and to society at large, without reducing Buddhism either to abstract philosophy or to meditation technique alone.
In the long term, Digital Buddhism may gradually develop complementary learning, practice and community initiatives, including the proposed Digital Buddhist Mahāvihāra, Digital Buddhist Ārāma, and Digital Buddhist Sangam, subject to appropriate institutional, legal, doctrinal and governance arrangements. These long-term aspirations do not alter the present status of Digital Buddhism as an educational initiative.
Digital Buddhism respects the privacy of its visitors, learners, practitioners, contributors and future community participants. This Privacy Policy explains, in general terms, what personal information may be collected, why it may be collected, how it may be used and protected, and what choices users may have regarding their information.
Digital Buddhism follows a principle of data minimisation: personal information should be collected only where there is a clear educational, practice-related, administrative, technical, security, community or legal reason to do so.
2. Information We May Collect
Depending on the facilities and services voluntarily used by a visitor, learner, practitioner or community participant, Digital Buddhism may collect limited information such as:
- name;
- email address;
- preferred language;
- country or region;
- age group, where genuinely useful;
- learner-account information;
- learning progress and course-completion records;
- comments, feedback and other communications;
- files voluntarily uploaded for a defined educational or administrative purpose;
- newsletter subscription information;
- limited technical information generated through normal website operation.
Digital Buddhism should not collect additional personal information merely because the technology makes such collection possible.
Exact date of birth should not normally be requested unless a future educational or legal requirement makes it genuinely necessary.
3. Learner Accounts and Profiles
Digital Buddhism may provide learner accounts for purposes such as saving lessons, tracking study and practice progress, recording course completion, issuing certificates and providing personalised learning features.
Only information reasonably necessary for these functions should be collected.
Where age information is useful, Digital Buddhism should normally request an age group rather than an exact date of birth, unless a more precise age is genuinely required.
Learning progress and completion records may be retained where necessary to provide ongoing learning services or certificates.
4. Comments and Moderation
Comments may be enabled in selected areas of Digital Buddhism.
Comments are intended for thoughtful, relevant, respectful and constructive contributions. Comments may be moderated before or after publication.
Spam, abuse, personal attacks, promotional material, irrelevant content, or misleading or harmful submissions may be rejected or removed.
Publication of a comment does not mean that Digital Buddhism endorses the views expressed by the commenter.
Where comments are enabled, information submitted through the comment facility and limited technical information reasonably required for moderation, security or spam prevention may be processed.
5. Contact and Feedback
Digital Buddhism intends to provide a contact facility through which visitors, learners, practitioners, contributors and others may submit feedback, suggestions, corrections, proposals or other relevant communications.
This facility is not intended to function as an instant question-and-answer service, personal counselling service or guaranteed immediate-response channel. Submissions may be reviewed and considered in due course, and an individual reply cannot always be guaranteed.
Only information reasonably necessary for the purpose of the communication should be provided.
Users should not submit passwords, banking information, identity-document numbers, unnecessary medical information or other sensitive personal data unless Digital Buddhism has specifically requested such information for a legitimate and clearly explained purpose.
6. Newsletter and Email Communications
Digital Buddhism may provide an optional email newsletter or other subscription-based communications in the future.
Subscription will be based on clear and voluntary consent. A person will not be automatically subscribed merely because they create an account, submit a comment, use a contact form or otherwise interact with the website.
Only limited information reasonably necessary for the subscription, such as an email address, name or preferred language, should be collected.
Subscribers should be able to unsubscribe from such communications.
Information collected for a newsletter or similar subscription should not be used for unrelated purposes without appropriate notice and, where required, consent.
7. User Uploads
Digital Buddhism may allow users to upload files where this is reasonably required for an educational, practice-related, community or administrative purpose.
Such files may include, for example, a profile image, assignment, reflection, document or certificate.
Before requesting an upload, Digital Buddhism should explain why the file is required, what type of file should be provided and how long it may be retained.
Files submitted for private educational or administrative purposes should remain private unless the user has clearly submitted them for publication or otherwise agreed to wider access.
Users should avoid uploading unnecessary sensitive personal information.
8. Cookies and Similar Technologies
Digital Buddhism aims to use only the cookies and similar technologies reasonably necessary for the proper functioning, security and usability of the website.
Essential cookies may be used for functions such as website security, session management, language or preference settings and other necessary technical operations.
Where non-essential cookies or similar technologies are used in the future, they should have a clear and legitimate purpose.
Digital Buddhism does not intend to use cookies for behavioural advertising, unnecessary profiling or unrelated cross-site tracking.
Where consent is legally required, users should be given a clear and meaningful choice before cookies or similar technologies are activated.
9. Analytics and Website Usage
Digital Buddhism may use limited, privacy-respecting analytics to understand how the website and its educational materials are being used.
Such information may include, for example:
- approximate visitor numbers;
- pages or lessons viewed;
- broad geographic region;
- preferred language;
- general device or browser information;
- referral source;
- general learning pathways through the website.
Analytics should, as far as reasonably possible, be used in aggregate or in a minimally identifying form.
Digital Buddhism does not intend to use analytics for unnecessary individual profiling, behavioural advertising, unrelated cross-site tracking or the sale of personal information.
The guiding principle is:
Measure the learning, not the learner more than necessary.
10. Embedded Content and Third-Party Services
Digital Buddhism may, where educationally or practically useful, include embedded content or links from third-party services such as video platforms, podcast services, maps or social-media platforms.
Embedded content from another website may behave in substantially the same way as if the visitor had visited that external website directly.
Such third-party services may collect information, use cookies or similar technologies, and apply their own privacy practices.
Digital Buddhism should use third-party embeds selectively and only where they provide genuine educational or practical value.
Where reasonably possible, Digital Buddhism may prefer privacy-enhancing embedding options, reduced-tracking methods or ordinary external links instead of more intrusive forms of embedded content.
Users should consult the privacy information provided by the relevant third-party service where appropriate.
11. Data Sharing and Third-Party Processors
Digital Buddhism may use trusted third-party service providers where reasonably necessary to operate, secure, maintain or support the website and its educational, practice-related, community or administrative services.
Such service providers may include, for example, hosting providers, email-service providers, technical-support services, security services, backup services or other necessary infrastructure providers.
Only the minimum information reasonably required for the relevant service should be shared.
Digital Buddhism does not intend to share personal information with third parties for unrelated advertising, unnecessary profiling or unrelated commercial purposes.
Where reasonably possible, service providers should be selected with appropriate regard to privacy, security and responsible data handling.
Digital Buddhism does not intend to sell users’ personal information.
12. Data Retention
Digital Buddhism should retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected.
Different types of information may therefore be retained for different periods depending on their purpose, including educational, administrative, technical, security, communication, record-keeping or legal needs.
When personal information is no longer reasonably required, Digital Buddhism should delete, anonymise or otherwise securely dispose of it where appropriate.
Some information may need to be retained for a longer period where required for legal obligations, security, fraud prevention, accounting, dispute resolution, certification, administrative records or other legitimate needs.
13. Hosting, Server Logs and Technical Information
Digital Buddhism may use hosting and related technical service providers for operating, maintaining and securing the website and for supporting its educational, practice-related, community and other related services.
As part of normal website operation, limited technical information may be generated or recorded, such as:
- IP address;
- browser or device information;
- date and time of access;
- pages or resources requested;
- technical errors;
- security-related events.
Such information may be used where reasonably necessary for website operation, performance, troubleshooting, security, prevention of abuse, backups, recovery or legal needs.
Digital Buddhism does not intend to use ordinary server-log or technical information for unnecessary individual profiling.
14. Your Rights and Choices
Depending on the applicable law and the nature of the information involved, users may have rights or choices relating to their personal information.
These may include the ability to:
- request information about personal data held by Digital Buddhism;
- request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information;
- request deletion of personal information where appropriate;
- request closure of a learner account or similar profile;
- withdraw consent where processing is based on consent;
- unsubscribe from optional email communications.
Digital Buddhism may need to take reasonable steps to verify the identity of a person making such a request.
Some information may need to be retained despite a deletion or closure request where this is reasonably required for legal needs, security, fraud prevention, accounting, dispute resolution, certification, technical integrity or legitimate administrative records.
15. Children and Minors
Digital Buddhism recognises that children and minors require particular care in relation to privacy and personal information.
Digital Buddhism should avoid collecting personal information from children or minors unless it is reasonably necessary for a legitimate educational, administrative or safeguarding purpose.
Where applicable, parental or guardian consent should be obtained before collecting or processing personal information from a child or minor.
Digital Buddhism does not intend to use children’s or minors’ personal information for behavioural advertising, unnecessary profiling or unrelated commercial purposes.
Where age information is genuinely useful, an age group should normally be preferred over an exact date of birth unless more precise information is technically, educationally or legally necessary.
Any educational content or services intended for children or minors should be designed with appropriate regard to their age, privacy, safety and well-being.
16. Data Security
Digital Buddhism aims to take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, disclosure or destruction.
Such measures may include, where appropriate:
- secure website hosting;
- HTTPS encryption;
- appropriate access controls;
- software maintenance and updates;
- security monitoring and protection against abuse;
- backups and recovery arrangements;
- limiting access to personal information to those who genuinely need it.
No website or online system can guarantee absolute security. Digital Buddhism will therefore aim to review and improve its security practices as its services and technical systems develop.
Users also have a role in protecting their information and should take reasonable care when choosing passwords, using shared devices and submitting information online.
17. Changes to This Privacy Policy
Digital Buddhism may update this Privacy Policy from time to time as its website, educational services, technical systems, legal requirements or institutional arrangements develop.
When significant changes are made, the revised Privacy Policy should be published on the website with an updated effective date or revision date where appropriate.
Users are encouraged to review this Privacy Policy periodically, especially when new features or services are introduced.
18. Privacy Contact
For questions, requests or concerns relating to this Privacy Policy or the handling of personal information, please contact Digital Buddhism at:
Email: privacy@digitalbuddhism.org