Privacy Policy

• "Platform" means the Telegram Bot Platform.
• "Bot" or "Third-Party Service" means the Ethiopian NLP Corpus Project Telegram bot, operated as an open community initiative.
• "Project" means the Ethiopian NLP Corpus Project, a volunteer-driven, non-commercial developer initiative dedicated to building open datasets for Ethiopian language AI.
• "User" or "you" means any person accessing the Bot via their Telegram account.
• "Contribution" means any text sentence, translation, correction, or other linguistic content submitted by a User through the Bot.
• "Dataset" means the compiled collection of Contributions gathered through the Bot, intended for open AI research and development.
• "Personal Data" means any information that identifies or can reasonably be used to identify a natural person.
• "Policy" means this Privacy Policy document.

The Ethiopian NLP Corpus Project is a community-driven, open-source initiative with the mission of building the largest open dataset for Ethiopian languages to support AI development. This is a public-good project — not a commercial venture — run by volunteers and developers who believe that the future of technology must speak Ethiopian languages fluently and accurately.

All data collected through the Bot is intended for open research use to benefit Ethiopian communities and the broader NLP research ecosystem. The Project is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by Telegram.

3.1. This Policy governs the relationship between the Project (as Developer) and you (as User) with respect to your use of the Bot. It does not regulate the relationship between Telegram and its users, nor does it supersede the Telegram Privacy Policy.

3.2. The Project follows all privacy guidelines set forth by platforms that distribute Telegram apps, including Apple's App Review Guidelines and Google's Developer Policies.

3.3. Your continued use of the Bot constitutes your acceptance of this Policy, the Telegram Bot Terms, and applicable Telegram terms.

3.4. This Policy may be updated from time to time. It is your responsibility to review changes. Continued use of the Bot after updates constitutes acceptance of the revised Policy.

3.5. If you do not accept the terms of this Policy, please immediately cease your use of the Bot.

Age requirement: You must be at least 18 years of age to use this Bot independently. Individuals between 13 and 17 may participate only with the written consent of a parent or legal guardian. Children under 13 are strictly prohibited from using this Bot.

Language: The Bot is designed for native and fluent speakers of Ethiopian languages. Contributors should genuinely speak the language in which they are contributing.

Good faith: By using the Bot, you confirm that you are providing accurate information and participating in good faith.

By using the Bot, you consent to the collection of the following categories of information:

• From Telegram (via the Platform): Your Telegram user ID, username (if public), and display name, as made available by the Telegram platform in accordance with the Telegram Privacy Policy.
• Contributions you submit: Text sentences, translations, corrections, or other linguistic content you send to the Bot.
• Demographic information (optional): Region, dialect, and language preference, where you choose to provide this.
• Usage data: Timestamps, interaction frequency, and contribution history.
• Anonymous analytics: Aggregated, non-identifiable usage statistics for project monitoring purposes.

We do not collect your phone number, private messages outside the bot, or any financial information.

Your data is used exclusively to:

• Build, compile, and publish open datasets for Ethiopian language AI research
• Administer and improve the Bot and its features
• Monitor for abuse or misuse of the contribution system
• Report aggregate statistics to the research community, collaborators, and sponsors
• Comply with applicable legal obligations

The Project does not use your data for advertising, profiling, or any commercial purpose unrelated to Ethiopian NLP research.

By submitting a Contribution to the Bot, you grant the Ethiopian NLP Corpus Project a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, adapt, publish, and distribute your Contribution as part of open datasets for AI research and development purposes.

Contributions submitted to the Project are intended to be released as open data for the benefit of the Ethiopian AI research community. You warrant that your Contributions are your own original work and do not infringe any third-party rights.

The Project is a public-good initiative. No commercial compensation is offered or implied for Contributions.

The Project employs reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your data against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, no system can guarantee absolute security, and you acknowledge the inherent risks of digital data transmission.

Your Contributions (text data and associated metadata) may be shared with:

• The open-source and academic research community, under appropriate open licenses
• Research institutions and universities conducting Ethiopian language AI research
• Technology developers building Ethiopian language NLP tools
• Collaborators and sponsors of the Project

Your personal identifying information (such as your Telegram ID or name) will not be publicly linked to your Contributions in any published dataset, unless you separately and explicitly consent to such attribution in writing.

We will never sell your personal data to third parties.

We may disclose information if required by law or in response to a lawful legal order.

Contributions and associated linguistic metadata will be retained as part of the Dataset indefinitely, given their purpose as open research data. Personal identifying information (such as your Telegram ID) will be retained only for as long as necessary to administer your participation and comply with legal obligations. Upon request, personal identifying information may be anonymized.

Subject to applicable law, you have the right to:

• Access — request a copy of personal data we hold about you
• Correction — request correction of inaccurate personal data
• Deletion — request deletion of your personal identifying information (note: Contributions already incorporated into published open datasets may not be removable)
• Objection — object to or restrict the processing of your personal data
• Withdrawal of consent — withdraw your consent and cease using the Bot at any time
• Complaint — lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority in your jurisdiction

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details in Section 15.

Your data may be stored and processed outside of Ethiopia, including through cloud hosting services used for dataset storage and distribution. By using the Bot, you consent to such transfers subject to safeguards consistent with applicable law.

The Bot is primarily intended for adults aged 18 and above. If the Project becomes aware that a child under 13 has submitted Contributions, those Contributions will be promptly removed and the associated account will be blocked from further participation. Parents or guardians who discover their child has used the Bot without consent should contact us immediately.

Users must not:

• Submit content in a language other than the one selected
• Submit content that is offensive, hateful, defamatory, or discriminatory
• Submit content that incites violence, ethnic hatred, or political extremism
• Attempt to manipulate or game the contribution system
• Use automated tools or bots to submit Contributions without prior written consent from the Project
• Misrepresent their identity or language ability

Violations may result in account removal and permanent blocking from the Bot.

For questions, data rights requests, or concerns regarding this Policy, please contact the Ethiopian NLP Corpus Project through:

The Project will respond to all legitimate data rights requests within 30 days.

This Policy is intended to comply with the laws of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, including applicable data protection and intellectual property legislation, as well as the Telegram Platform's Bot Developer Terms.

The Ethiopian NLP Corpus Project is an independent, volunteer-driven community initiative. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or in any way officially connected to Telegram Messenger Inc. or any government body. The Project operates in good faith for the public benefit of Ethiopian communities and the global AI research community.

This Privacy Policy was prepared in the spirit of Telegram's Standard Bot Privacy Policy framework and adapted to reflect the mission and operations of the Ethiopian NLP Corpus Project.

This document should be reviewed by a qualified legal professional before final publication.