Skip to main content

Privacy Policy & Terms

Privacy​

We are committed to the principle of maximum user anonymity. The Dhamma.gift project is designed to ensure that searching for and reading Pali texts does not require users to reveal their personal identity.

Products Covered​

Telegram Services

Web, Android & iOS Apps

  • Dhamma.Gift PWA — installable Progressive Web App.
  • Dhamma.Gift for Android (online and offline) — APK on GitHub.
  • Dhamma.Gift for iOS (online and offline) — the same application for iPhone and iPad; it behaves exactly as the Android one does throughout this policy.
  • Dict.Dhamma.Gift PWA — specialized dictionary PWA.
  • Dict.Dhamma.Gift for Android — available on Google Play.

Browser Extensions

Cloud Synchronization (Optional)​

This is an opt-in feature available on the website and within the PWA and the Android and iOS applications, used solely to synchronize your settings, favorites, and history across multiple devices.

  • Infrastructure — data is stored in Google Firebase (a third-party cloud database).
  • Authentication methods:
    • Anonymous passphrase — if you use a secret passphrase, it is hashed locally on your device (SHA-256) before transmission. Only the anonymous identifier is stored; your original passphrase never reaches the database.
    • Google Account — we use your email address solely for session identification. The email is stored as a hashed entry to protect your privacy.
  • Data storage — only your bookmarks (favorites), search history, and interface preferences are saved. This data is accessible only to you upon successful authentication.
  • Data deletion — you may permanently delete all your cloud data at any time using the "Delete Cloud Data" button in the Sync menu.

Data Processing​

Our products process only the minimal technical data required for core functionality:

  • Search — only search queries, text references, or selected dictionary terms are transmitted.
  • Synchronization — when enabled, we process session metadata (OS type and browser) to help you manage your active devices.
  • Technical logs — standard request metadata (IP address, User-Agent) is collected by web servers for security purposes and DDoS protection.

Information We Do Not Collect​

  • Personal identification (except the email address used during Google Login).
  • Telegram user IDs or private chat histories.
  • Browsing history outside of our specific services.
  • Persistent tracking identifiers (beyond the scope of a user-initiated sync session).

Data Transmission​

Our own services:

  • dhamma.gift / dict.dhamma.gift — for search and reader functionality.
  • Google Firebase — solely to provide the optional cloud synchronization service, and only if you sign in.

One external service:

  • dpdict.net — the Digital Pāḷi Dictionary, for dictionary entries our own bundled dictionary does not cover. Only the single Pāḷi word being looked up is sent, with no account, identifier or other context attached. Some of these lookups are made by our server on your behalf; others your browser or the app makes directly, in which case dpdict.net also sees your IP address as it would on any website you visit. This is their service, under their own privacy policy, not ours.

We do not share, sell, or transmit user data to any third parties for marketing or advertising purposes.

Data Retention​

  • Without synchronization — search queries and history are not stored on our servers; all data remains local to your browser's localStorage.
  • With synchronization — favorites, settings, and history are stored in the Google Cloud database until deleted by the user.
  • Offline library — the full text database (about 200 MB to download, about 590 MB on the device) is downloaded from dhamma.gift and kept on your device only. On the website and in the PWA the download starts only with your consent. In the Android and iOS apps it starts automatically on Wi-Fi and can be cancelled; on mobile data the app asks first. It contains texts only and no data about you. In offline mode, searching and reading texts run on the device without requests to our server. Database updates are offered at most once every two weeks. You can remove the database with the "Delete" button in the offline library settings.
  • Logs — technical server logs are retained for a maximum of 30 days.

Updates to This Policy​

This Privacy Policy may be updated periodically. Your continued use of the Services after such changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

For inquiries regarding your privacy, please contact us at agiftofdhamma@gmail.com.

Last updated: September 2026.

Terms​

Two cases, and the difference matters.

Public domain — SuttaCentral​

All materials from SuttaCentral (Bilara data) — the Pali root texts, the traditional commentarial material and the translations — are dedicated to the public domain under CC0. You may use, copy and adapt them freely, including commercially, with no permission needed. See SuttaCentral licensing.

Everything else — free, non-commercial use only​

Materials created by the Dhamma.gift project are distributed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.

All other texts are published here with the permission of their authors and publishers, for free, non-commercial use only; the rights remain with them:

  • English translations by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu — see dhammatalks.org;
  • Russian translations by A. Ya. Syrkin, V. N. Toporov and the other translators credited on each text;
  • edited versions of those Russian translations, prepared by the project;
  • materials from TheBuddhasWords.net.

For any use beyond free, personal, non-commercial reading, please contact the copyright holders. The Dhamma.gift website and applications are offered free of charge, and Dhamma.gift adds no restrictions of its own beyond those already carried by the source material.