Mendikot Mehfil
Privacy Policy
The short version
- You sign in with Google, Apple or an Epic Games account. We receive an account identifier and the in-game name you choose.
- We store your game progress (ladder rating, stats, achievements, Chai balance and settings) with Epic Online Services.
- The app shows ads from Google AdMob. Where the law requires it, you are asked for consent first, and you can change your choice later.
- We do not collect your phone number, contacts, location, photos, microphone or payment details. There is no chat.
- You can ask us to delete your account and data at any time.
1. Introduction
We, Sakayika Entertainment LLP, a limited liability partnership registered under the Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008, having its office at Flat No-73, Dhanishtha Bldg, Tarangan Tower-1, Mangal Pandey Marg, Thane (West) 400606, Maharashtra, India ("we", "our", "us"), own and operate Mendikot Mehfil, a mobile game for playing the card game Mendikot on iOS and Android devices (the "Application").
"You", "your", "User" and "Player" mean anyone who downloads the Application from the App Store or Google Play and uses it. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, who we share it with and the choices you have. It forms part of, and should be read with, our Terms of Use. Capitalised terms not defined here have the meaning given in the Terms of Use.
By installing or using the Application, signing in, or giving consent inside the Application, you agree to the collection and use of your information as described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Application.
This Privacy Policy is published in accordance with the Information Technology Act, 2000, the Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011 and, as applicable, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.
2. Information we collect
2.1 Account and profile
- Sign-in identifier. You sign in with Google (Android), Sign in with Apple (iOS) or an Epic Games account. Sign-in is handled by that provider and by Epic Online Services ("EOS"). We receive an account identifier from the provider and an EOS player identifier. We never see your password.
- Name from your sign-in provider. If your provider shares your name (for example, Sign in with Apple when you choose to share it), we may use it to suggest your in-game name.
- In-game name. The display name you choose. It is visible to other players at the table, on leaderboards and in match results.
2.2 Gameplay and progress
- Match results, scores, tricks, tens, kot and mendikot counts, ladder rating and win/loss statistics.
- Achievements, leaderboard positions and your Chai (in-game energy) balance.
- Moves made during a match, including Ishara signals, and the match record identified by an Insaaf ID. We use these to run the game, settle disputes and detect cheating or collusion.
- Preferences such as language and sound settings.
2.3 Device and usage information
- Device model, operating system and version, app version, language and region settings, and network information such as IP address, which is needed to connect you to game servers.
- Session information (when you open and close the Application, session length and platform), collected through EOS Metrics to understand usage and retention.
- Crash and error information needed to keep the Application stable.
2.4 Advertising information
- Your device's advertising identifier (Google Advertising ID on Android; the Identifier for Advertisers on iOS, only if you allow tracking), your consent choices, and information about ads shown to you and whether you completed a rewarded ad. See Advertising and consent.
2.5 Information you send us
- If you email us, we receive your email address and whatever you choose to include in your message.
3. Information we do not collect
The Application does not ask for or access your phone number, contacts, call logs, SMS, precise location, camera, microphone, photos or files. There is no text or voice chat. Ishara signals are fixed in-game actions, not messages. There are no in-app purchases in the current version, so we do not collect payment information.
Please do not send us sensitive personal data such as financial information, passwords, OTPs, Aadhaar or other government identification numbers, health or biometric information, or information about religion, caste, political opinions or sexual orientation. We do not need it and will not use it.
4. How we use information
- To create and maintain your account, save your progress and restore it when you sign in on another device.
- To run matches: matchmaking by mode and region, seating you at a table, dealing and scoring, and filling empty seats with clearly labelled Ustad bots.
- To operate the ladder, leaderboards, achievements and the Chai energy system, including granting Chai for daily bonuses and completed rewarded ads.
- To keep play fair: detecting cheating, collusion, modified clients and abuse of rewards, and enforcing our Terms of Use.
- To show ads and measure whether they were delivered and completed.
- To understand how the Application is used in aggregate, fix bugs and improve the game.
- To answer your emails and handle complaints and grievances.
- To comply with law and respond to lawful requests.
We use aggregated or de-identified information, which does not identify you, to understand overall usage. We may share such aggregated information with partners.
5. Advertising and consent
Mendikot Mehfil is free to play and is funded by advertising served by Google AdMob. You may see a banner beside the table during a match, and you can choose to watch rewarded video ads to earn Chai. Rewarded ads are always optional and started by you.
- Consent first. Before any ad is requested, the Application shows Google's consent message where required by law (for example, for players in the EEA, UK or Switzerland). On iOS, Apple's App Tracking Transparency prompt asks whether ads may use your device's advertising identifier.
- What Google receives. Google AdMob may collect your advertising identifier, IP address, device information and ad interaction data to serve, measure and, where you have consented, personalise ads. See how Google uses information from apps that use its services.
- Changing your choice. You can withdraw ad consent at any time by emailing us or, where the Application offers it, from its privacy settings. You can also reset or delete your advertising ID in your device settings, turn on "Limit ad tracking" / disable "Allow apps to request to track", or opt out of personalised ads in your Google account settings. You will still see ads, but they will be less relevant.
6. Service providers
We use the following providers to run the Application. They process information on our behalf or as independent controllers under their own privacy policies.
| Provider | Purpose | Information |
|---|---|---|
| Epic Games (Epic Online Services) | Sign-in, player accounts, saved progress, stats, achievements, leaderboards, matchmaking sessions, usage metrics | Account and EOS identifiers, in-game name, gameplay data, device and session data, IP address |
| Google (AdMob and User Messaging Platform) | Showing ads, collecting ad consent | Advertising ID, device data, IP address, consent choices, ad interaction data |
| Google (sign-in) | Sign-in on Android | Your Google account identifier |
| Apple (Sign in with Apple, App Tracking Transparency) | Sign-in on iOS, tracking permission | Your Apple account identifier, and your name and email only if you choose to share them |
| Cloud hosting providers | Running the game servers that host matches | IP address, match data |
Some of these providers process data on servers outside India. Where they do, we rely on their contractual and security commitments to protect it.
7. Other disclosures
We do not sell your personal information. Other than to the service providers above, we share personal information only:
- With other players: your in-game name, table play, Ishara signals, match results, ladder position and leaderboard entries are visible to other players as part of the game.
- Within our organisation: with our partners and authorised staff who need it to run the Application, under confidentiality obligations.
- For legal reasons: when required by law, court order or a lawful request by a government authority, or when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to enforce our Terms of Use, prevent fraud or cheating, or protect the rights, property or safety of our players, the public or us.
- On a business transfer: if we are involved in a merger, acquisition, restructuring or sale of all or part of our business, including the Application. The recipient will be bound to use your information consistently with this Privacy Policy, and we will notify you where reasonably possible.
We are not responsible for how third parties use information you choose to share with them directly, for example on social media.
8. Children
The Application is not directed at children under the age of 12, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 12. If you are under 12, please do not use the Application. If you believe a child under 12 has given us personal information, contact us at support@sakayika.com and we will delete it.
9. Data retention
We keep your account and gameplay data for as long as your account is active. Match records and anti-cheat logs are kept for as long as needed to resolve disputes and protect fair play. We delete or anonymise personal information when it is no longer needed, when you ask us to delete it (see below), or when your account has been inactive for an extended period, unless the law requires us to keep it longer. Deleted data may remain in backups for a limited period before it is overwritten.
10. Deleting your account and data
You can ask us to delete your Mendikot Mehfil account and associated data at any time. You do not need to delete your Google, Apple or Epic Games account.
- Email support@sakayika.com with the subject "Delete my Mendikot Mehfil account".
- Include your in-game name, the platform (iOS or Android), and how you sign in (Google, Apple or Epic Games). If you have one, include an Insaaf ID from a recent match, which helps us find your account.
- We may ask you to confirm the request, to make sure it comes from the account owner.
What we delete: your EOS player profile and in-game name, saved progress, Chai balance, stats, ladder rating, achievements and leaderboard entries.
What we may keep: anonymised or aggregated statistics that no longer identify you, and records we must keep by law or to resolve an open dispute or cheating investigation, only for as long as necessary.
We complete deletion within 30 days of confirming your request. Uninstalling the Application does not delete your account. If you signed in with Apple, you can also stop using Sign in with Apple for Mendikot Mehfil from your Apple ID settings. Advertising data held by Google is managed under Google's policies and your device's ad settings.
11. Your rights
Subject to applicable law, you may ask us to access, correct, update or erase your personal information, withdraw consent you have given, or nominate another person to exercise these rights on your behalf. To exercise any of these rights, email us at support@sakayika.com. Withdrawing consent does not affect processing that happened before you withdrew it, and some features (such as saved progress) cannot work without an account.
12. Security
We use reasonable security practices to protect your information, including encrypted connections to Epic Online Services, restricted access to our systems, and relying on providers with established security programmes. No system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee that information will never be accessed without authorisation. If a breach affects your personal information, we will notify you and the authorities as the law requires.
Keep your Google, Apple or Epic Games account secure. We will never ask you for your password, OTP or card details.
13. Feedback
We welcome your feedback, reviews and suggestions ("Feedback"). Feedback you send us is non-confidential. We may use it for any purpose, including improving and promoting the Application, without payment or attribution to you, and you waive any claim of ownership in it. Please do not include personal information about yourself or others in Feedback you want us to publish.
14. Logos, concepts and ideas
The Mendikot Mehfil name, logo, artwork and concepts belong to Sakayika Entertainment LLP. You may not copy or misuse them. All rights not expressly granted in this Privacy Policy are reserved, and nothing in it grants you any licence to our intellectual property.
15. Indemnity and limitation of liability
You agree to indemnify us, our partners, affiliates, officers, agents and employees against third-party claims, including reasonable legal fees, arising from (i) the accuracy of information you submit through the Application, (ii) your violation of this Privacy Policy, or (iii) your violation of another player's rights.
To the extent permitted by law, we are not liable for indirect, incidental or consequential damages, including loss of data, arising from your use of or inability to use the Application. Nothing in this Privacy Policy limits any liability that cannot be limited under applicable law, including under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.
16. Governing law and disputes
This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of India. Any dispute between you and us about it is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts at Thane, Maharashtra, India.
17. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post the updated version on this page, change the "Last updated" date, and notify you in the Application when a change materially affects how we use your information. Continuing to use the Application after a change means you accept the updated policy.
18. Contact and grievances
For questions, requests, complaints or grievances about this Privacy Policy or your personal information, contact our Grievance Officer:
Grievance Officer, Sakayika Entertainment LLP
Flat No-73, Dhanishtha Bldg, Tarangan Tower-1, Mangal Pandey Marg, Thane (West) 400606, Maharashtra, India
Email: support@sakayika.com
We acknowledge grievances within 48 hours and aim to resolve them within 30 days.