1. Introduction
RookDuel Avikal (“Avikal,” “the Application,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is a desktop security and archival-encryption application developed and maintained by Atharva Sen Barai under the RookDuel project.
This Privacy Policy explains how information is handled when you:
- Download, install, or use RookDuel Avikal;
- Obtain Avikal through the Microsoft Store or another authorized Avikal distribution channel;
- Visit the official Avikal website at https://avikal.rookduel.tech;
- Access Avikal documentation or source-code repositories;
- Contact us through an official Avikal support, privacy, or security-reporting channel.
Avikal is designed according to a privacy-focused, local-processing model. Its core file-protection and recovery operations are performed on the user’s device. Avikal does not require users to create an account or upload their files to a RookDuel-operated server to use its primary functionality.
By using the Avikal Application, the official Avikal website at https://avikal.rookduel.tech, or an official Avikal support channel operated by RookDuel, you acknowledge the practices described in this Privacy Policy.
2. Scope of This Policy
This Privacy Policy applies specifically to:
- The RookDuel Avikal Windows desktop application;
- The official Avikal website at https://avikal.rookduel.tech;
- Official Avikal documentation and support pages maintained by RookDuel;
- Official Avikal source-code repositories;
- Information submitted directly to RookDuel through an official Avikal email address, support page, repository, or security-reporting channel.
This Privacy Policy does not apply generally to unrelated RookDuel products, projects, or websites.
This Privacy Policy also does not control the independent privacy practices of Microsoft, GitHub, operating-system providers, Avikal website-hosting providers, or other third-party services that you may use in connection with Avikal.
3. Information Processed by the Avikal Application
3.1 User-selected files and folders
Avikal may access files or folders that you deliberately select for encryption, protection, archival, decryption, recovery, verification, or related operations.
These files may contain personal, confidential, sensitive, proprietary, or other information chosen by you. Avikal processes the selected content only to perform the operation requested by the user.
Under the current version of Avikal:
- Selected files are processed locally on the user’s device;
- Selected files are not uploaded to a server operated by RookDuel;
- RookDuel does not receive or inspect the contents of selected files;
- RookDuel does not retain copies of the user’s protected or recovered files;
- The user controls the input and output locations used by the Application.
You are responsible for ensuring that you have the legal right and authority to process any file submitted to Avikal.
3.2 Passwords, keyphrases, keys, and cryptographic credentials
Avikal may process passwords, Devanagari keyphrases, cryptographic keys, salts, parameters, metadata, and other credentials required to protect or recover information.
Such information is used to perform cryptographic operations initiated by the user. Under the current local-processing model:
- Credentials are processed on the user’s device;
- Credentials are not intentionally transmitted to RookDuel;
- RookDuel does not maintain a server-side copy of the user’s password or keyphrase;
- RookDuel cannot retrieve or reset a forgotten cryptographic credential;
- RookDuel cannot bypass the cryptographic protection applied by the user.
Users should store their credentials securely. Loss of the required credentials may make protected information permanently inaccessible.
3.3 Archive and application metadata
Avikal may create or process technical metadata required for its functionality. Depending on the selected operation, this may include:
- File names or relative paths;
- File sizes and formats;
- Archive structure;
- Cryptographic parameters;
- Algorithm identifiers;
- Version information;
- Integrity-verification values;
- Timestamps;
- Chess-inspired or PGN-formatted metadata;
- Other data required to create, verify, or recover an Avikal archive.
This metadata is ordinarily stored locally as part of the output generated by Avikal. It is not intentionally transmitted to RookDuel through the core application workflow.
Users should be aware that metadata may itself reveal information about a file or archive. Users should review where they store or share Avikal-generated output.
3.4 Local preferences and configuration
Avikal may store limited application settings locally on the user’s device, such as:
- Interface preferences;
- Previously selected non-sensitive options;
- Application configuration;
- Version or migration information;
- Paths or directories, where necessary for user convenience.
Local settings remain under the user’s operating-system account and are not intentionally sent to RookDuel unless the user voluntarily includes them in an Avikal support request.
3.5 Temporary files
Certain operations may require temporary files, working directories, memory buffers, or cached data on the user’s device.
Avikal is intended to remove temporary working data when it is no longer needed. However, complete removal may be affected by:
- Unexpected application termination;
- Operating-system behavior;
- File-system journaling;
- Backups;
- Recovery tools;
- Antivirus or endpoint-security software;
- Storage-device characteristics.
Users processing highly sensitive information should maintain appropriate device security, access controls, backups, and secure-deletion procedures.
4. Information Avikal Does Not Intentionally Collect
The current version of the Avikal desktop application does not intentionally collect or transmit the following information to RookDuel as part of its primary functionality:
- User account information;
- Names, dates of birth, or profile details;
- Precise physical location;
- Contact lists;
- Camera data;
- Microphone recordings;
- Biometric information;
- Financial-account information;
- Payment-card information;
- Browsing history;
- Advertising identifiers;
- User-selected file contents;
- Cryptographic passwords or keyphrases;
- Private encryption keys;
- Protected archive contents;
- User-to-user communications.
Avikal does not sell personal information and does not use protected files or cryptographic credentials for advertising, behavioural profiling, or data brokerage.
5. Telemetry, Analytics, and Crash Reporting
The current version of Avikal does not intentionally include RookDuel-operated behavioural tracking, advertising telemetry, or automatic transmission of user files and credentials.
Avikal may rely on the operating system, Microsoft Store, security software, or another authorized Avikal distribution platform to provide platform-level installation, reliability, or aggregate usage information. Any information collected independently by those platforms is governed by their respective privacy policies and settings.
If automatic telemetry, crash reporting, or analytics is introduced into Avikal in the future, this Privacy Policy will be updated before or when the relevant feature is introduced. Where required, users will receive appropriate notice or controls.
6. Internet Access and External Links
Avikal’s primary encryption and recovery functionality does not require users to upload their files to a RookDuel-operated online service.
The Application may contain links that open external resources in the user’s default web browser, including:
- The official Avikal website at https://avikal.rookduel.tech;
- Avikal documentation;
- Avikal support pages;
- Avikal source-code repositories;
- Avikal release information;
- Avikal security-reporting instructions;
- Avikal open-source licence information.
Opening an external link may disclose standard connection information to the destination service, including the user’s IP address, browser information, device information, referring page, and access time.
External websites and services operate under their own privacy policies. RookDuel is not responsible for the privacy practices, availability, security, or content of independently operated third-party services.
7. Microsoft Store Distribution
When Avikal is downloaded, installed, licensed, updated, reviewed, or otherwise accessed through the Microsoft Store, Microsoft may independently process information relating to:
- The user’s Microsoft account;
- Device and operating-system information;
- Store activity;
- Installation and update status;
- Region or language;
- Purchases, if applicable;
- Ratings and reviews;
- Diagnostics, reliability, and security.
RookDuel does not control all information processed by Microsoft through Microsoft Store infrastructure.
Microsoft’s handling of such information is governed by Microsoft’s own privacy statements, Store terms, account settings, and applicable policies. Users should review Microsoft’s privacy documentation for further information.
Avikal is not covered by Microsoft’s privacy policy merely because it is distributed through the Microsoft Store. This Privacy Policy governs information handled by RookDuel through the Avikal Application, the official Avikal website, and official Avikal support channels.
8. Avikal Website Information
When you visit the official Avikal website at https://avikal.rookduel.tech, its website-hosting infrastructure may automatically process limited technical information needed to deliver and secure the Avikal website.
This information may include:
- Internet Protocol address;
- Browser type and version;
- Operating system;
- Device type;
- Date and time of access;
- Requested pages or files;
- Referring website;
- Approximate region derived from an IP address;
- Security and error logs.
This information may be processed for legitimate Avikal website operational purposes, including:
- Delivering the Avikal website;
- Preventing abuse;
- Detecting security incidents;
- Maintaining availability;
- Diagnosing technical errors;
- Understanding aggregate Avikal website performance.
RookDuel does not use the official Avikal website to inspect files processed through the Avikal desktop application.
8.1 Cookies and local storage
The official Avikal website at https://avikal.rookduel.tech may use cookies or similar storage strictly where required for:
- Basic website operation;
- Security;
- User preferences;
- Session management;
- Consent management.
RookDuel does not intentionally use the Avikal website to place third-party behavioural-advertising cookies unless the Avikal website is updated and users are provided with appropriate notice and choices.
The Avikal website-hosting provider or embedded third-party resources may process technical data according to their own policies. Users can manage cookies using their browser settings, although disabling essential storage may affect Avikal website functionality.
9. Avikal Support and Other Communications
If you contact RookDuel regarding Avikal by email, an Avikal support form, an Avikal repository issue, or another official Avikal channel, we may process information that you voluntarily provide, including:
- Your name or username;
- Email address;
- Message contents;
- Avikal version;
- Operating-system information;
- Diagnostic details;
- Screenshots;
- Log files;
- Sample files or archives;
- Other attachments.
This information is used to:
- Respond to the Avikal-related request;
- Investigate Avikal technical problems;
- Address Avikal security reports;
- Improve Avikal documentation or software reliability;
- Maintain a record of important Avikal support or security communications;
- Comply with legal obligations.
Do not send passwords, private keys, confidential files, recovery credentials, or sensitive personal information through ordinary Avikal support email.
When diagnostic information is needed, users should remove or redact personal and confidential information before sending it. RookDuel will never require a user to disclose a working cryptographic password or private key through an ordinary Avikal support request.
10. Public Avikal Repository Interactions
Avikal may be developed or distributed as an open-source project through GitHub or another public code-hosting platform.
Information posted through public Avikal repository features may become publicly visible. This includes:
- Issues;
- Discussions;
- Pull requests;
- Commit information;
- Usernames;
- Profile details;
- Comments;
- Uploaded logs or screenshots.
Users should not publish sensitive information, private keys, passwords, confidential files, personal data, or exploitable vulnerability details through a public Avikal issue.
Avikal security vulnerabilities should be reported through the designated private security-reporting channel identified in Avikal’s official security documentation.
Public Avikal repository information is also processed by the repository-hosting provider under its own privacy policy and terms.
11. How We Use Personal Information
Where RookDuel receives personal information through the Avikal Application, the official Avikal website, an Avikal repository, or an official Avikal support channel, it may be used for the following purposes:
- Providing and maintaining Avikal;
- Responding to Avikal support enquiries;
- Investigating Avikal bugs and compatibility problems;
- Receiving and addressing Avikal vulnerability reports;
- Improving Avikal security and reliability;
- Maintaining Avikal documentation;
- Communicating important Avikal product or security information;
- Preventing fraud, abuse, or malicious activity affecting Avikal;
- Protecting Avikal users, RookDuel, and third parties;
- Complying with applicable legal obligations;
- Establishing, exercising, or defending legal claims relating to Avikal.
RookDuel does not use the contents of user-selected files or cryptographic credentials for marketing or advertising.
12. Legal Bases for Processing
Where applicable data-protection law requires a legal basis, personal information handled through Avikal may be processed on one or more of the following grounds:
- Consent: where you voluntarily provide information or consent to a specific Avikal-related activity;
- Contractual necessity: where processing is needed to provide requested Avikal support or services;
- Legitimate interests: where processing is reasonably necessary to operate, secure, maintain, and improve Avikal without overriding users’ rights;
- Legal obligation: where processing is required to comply with applicable law;
- Protection of rights and safety: where processing is necessary to prevent harm, abuse, security threats, or unlawful conduct involving Avikal.
Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw that consent, subject to legal and technical limitations.
13. Disclosure of Information
RookDuel does not sell or rent personal information received through Avikal.
Personal information may be disclosed only where reasonably necessary to:
- Avikal website-hosting, email, repository-hosting, or infrastructure providers;
- Service providers acting on behalf of RookDuel in connection with Avikal;
- Professional advisers;
- Government authorities, regulators, courts, or law-enforcement agencies where legally required;
- Investigate or prevent fraud, abuse, security incidents, or unlawful activity involving Avikal;
- Protect the rights, safety, property, and security of Avikal users, RookDuel, or others;
- Support a legitimate organizational restructuring, transfer, or succession involving the Avikal project, subject to applicable law.
Service providers receive only the information reasonably necessary for their Avikal-related functions and are subject to their own contractual and legal responsibilities.
14. International Data Processing
Avikal and the official Avikal website at https://avikal.rookduel.tech are developed and maintained from India. Certain third-party service providers, such as Microsoft, GitHub, the Avikal website-hosting provider, email providers, or content-delivery networks, may process information in other countries.
As a result, information submitted through the Avikal website, Microsoft Store, an Avikal repository, or an Avikal support channel may be transferred to or processed in jurisdictions whose data-protection laws differ from those of the user’s location.
Where legally required and reasonably applicable, appropriate safeguards will be used for international transfers.
The core Avikal file-processing workflow is designed to occur locally on the user’s device and does not require user-selected files to be transferred internationally to RookDuel.
15. Data Retention
RookDuel retains personal information received through Avikal only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including:
- Responding to Avikal support requests;
- Investigating Avikal technical or security matters;
- Maintaining records of resolved Avikal security reports;
- Preventing abuse affecting Avikal;
- Complying with legal obligations;
- Resolving disputes;
- Enforcing applicable Avikal agreements.
Routine Avikal support correspondence may be retained for up to 24 months after the matter is closed, unless a longer period is reasonably necessary for security, legal, or recordkeeping purposes.
Avikal security reports and related correspondence may be retained for a longer period where necessary to preserve the project’s security history, coordinate remediation, establish responsible-disclosure records, or protect Avikal users.
Public information posted to an Avikal code-hosting platform may remain available according to that platform’s retention practices and the nature of public version-control systems.
Files, credentials, outputs, and local settings processed exclusively on the user’s device remain under the user’s control and are not subject to RookDuel’s server-side retention practices.
16. Data Security
RookDuel uses reasonable technical and organizational measures intended to protect Avikal-related information under its control.
These measures may include:
- Data minimization;
- Local processing for core Avikal file operations;
- Restricted access to Avikal support communications;
- Encryption in transit where supported;
- Secure Avikal development practices;
- Dependency review and Avikal software updates;
- Avikal vulnerability-reporting procedures;
- Access controls for Avikal project infrastructure.
However, no software, storage medium, transmission method, or security system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
Avikal users remain responsible for:
- Securing their devices and operating-system accounts;
- Installing legitimate Avikal releases from trusted sources;
- Protecting passwords, keyphrases, and private keys;
- Maintaining appropriate backups;
- Verifying downloaded Avikal software where verification methods are provided;
- Avoiding disclosure of sensitive credentials;
- Keeping Avikal and the operating system updated.
Avikal’s use of cryptographic technology does not eliminate risks caused by weak credentials, compromised devices, malware, implementation defects, user error, or unsafe storage practices.
17. Data Breach Response
If RookDuel becomes aware of a personal-data breach affecting Avikal-related information under its control, reasonable steps will be taken to:
- Investigate and contain the incident;
- Assess the nature and likely consequences of the breach;
- Protect affected Avikal systems and information;
- Notify affected individuals or authorities where required by applicable law;
- Document and remediate the incident.
Because core Avikal file contents and credentials are processed locally, RookDuel generally cannot detect or respond to compromises that occur solely on a user’s device.
18. User Rights
Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have rights relating to personal information held by RookDuel through Avikal, including the right to:
- Ask whether personal information about you is being processed;
- Request access to personal information;
- Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information;
- Request deletion of information;
- Withdraw consent where processing relies on consent;
- Object to or restrict certain processing;
- Request a copy of information in an appropriate format;
- Submit a grievance or complaint;
- Contact an applicable data-protection authority.
These rights are not absolute and may be limited by technical feasibility, legal obligations, security requirements, the rights of others, or the need to establish or defend legal claims.
To submit an Avikal privacy request, contact RookDuel using the details in the “Contact Us” section. We may request reasonable information to verify your identity before processing the request.
RookDuel cannot provide, correct, or delete files and credentials that were processed only by Avikal on your device and were never transmitted to RookDuel.
19. Children’s Privacy
Avikal is a general-purpose security and archival utility and is not designed to collect personal information from children.
The Application does not require an account, social profile, public communication, behavioural advertising, or submission of personal information to RookDuel as part of its primary functionality.
A child or minor should use Avikal only with the involvement and permission of a parent, guardian, teacher, or other responsible adult where required by applicable law.
Children and minors should not submit personal information through Avikal support channels without appropriate adult involvement. If we learn that personal information was collected through Avikal from a child in a manner inconsistent with applicable law, reasonable steps will be taken to delete or otherwise address that information.
20. Automated Decision-Making and Generative AI
The current version of Avikal does not use personal information to make automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects concerning users.
Avikal does not currently incorporate generative artificial-intelligence functionality that creates text, images, audio, video, or code from user information.
Cryptographic processing, key derivation, integrity verification, archive creation, and chess-inspired metadata processing are not treated as generative-AI functionality under this Privacy Policy.
21. Advertising, Sale, and Profiling
Avikal does not contain third-party advertising within its core desktop application.
RookDuel does not sell personal information and does not use information processed through Avikal for:
- Cross-context behavioural advertising;
- Data brokerage;
- Advertising profiles;
- Credit or insurance decisions;
- Employment decisions;
- Eligibility scoring.
If Avikal’s business model or advertising practices change, this Privacy Policy will be updated and any legally required notice or consent mechanism will be provided.
22. Third-Party Services
Users may interact with third-party services in connection with Avikal, including:
- Microsoft Store;
- Microsoft Windows;
- GitHub;
- Avikal website-hosting providers;
- Email providers used for Avikal support;
- Antivirus and endpoint-security software;
- Operating-system update services;
- External Avikal documentation or research platforms.
These services may independently collect or process information. Their processing is governed by their own terms and privacy policies.
The inclusion of a third-party link or compatibility reference in Avikal or on the Avikal website does not mean that RookDuel controls or endorses that party’s privacy practices.
23. Open-Source Software and Dependencies
Avikal may include or depend on open-source libraries, cryptographic libraries, runtimes, or other software components.
Such components may operate locally as part of the Avikal Application. Their inclusion does not necessarily mean that user information is transmitted to the component’s original developer.
Information about relevant licences and acknowledgements may be provided within the Avikal Application, Avikal documentation, the Avikal source-code repository, or an Avikal distribution package.
24. Changes to Avikal’s Data Practices
Future versions of Avikal may introduce optional features, integrations, or services. These could include update services, cloud capabilities, accounts, diagnostics, or other online functionality.
Before introducing an Avikal feature that materially changes how personal information is handled, RookDuel will take reasonable steps to:
- Update this Privacy Policy;
- Describe the new Avikal-related processing;
- Provide notices or controls required by law;
- Obtain consent where legally required;
- Update the Microsoft Store disclosure where appropriate.
Users should review the permissions, release notes, and privacy information accompanying major Avikal updates.
25. Changes to This Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy may be updated to reflect:
- Changes to Avikal;
- Changes to the official Avikal website;
- New legal requirements;
- Security improvements;
- Changes to Avikal-related third-party services;
- Clarifications to existing Avikal practices;
- New Avikal support or distribution methods.
The revised policy will be published on the official Avikal website at https://avikal.rookduel.tech with an updated “Last updated” date.
Material changes may also be communicated through the Avikal Application, Avikal release notes, the Avikal repository, the Avikal website, or another appropriate official Avikal channel.
Continued use of Avikal after an updated policy becomes effective constitutes acknowledgement of the revised policy to the extent permitted by applicable law.
26. Contact Us
Questions, privacy requests, concerns, or complaints relating to this Avikal Privacy Policy may be sent to:
- Developer and maintainer: Atharva Sen Barai
- Project: RookDuel Avikal
- Publisher: RookDuel
- Country: India
- Email: contact@rookduel.tech
- Official Avikal website: https://avikal.rookduel.tech
For security vulnerabilities, please follow the private reporting instructions provided in Avikal’s official security documentation rather than disclosing the vulnerability through a public repository issue.
When contacting RookDuel about Avikal privacy, include sufficient information to identify your request, but do not include your password, keyphrase, private encryption key, or unredacted confidential files.
27. Governing Principles
This Privacy Policy is intended to be interpreted consistently with applicable privacy and data-protection laws, including laws that may apply based on the Avikal user’s location.
Nothing in this Privacy Policy limits any non-waivable rights available to an Avikal user under applicable law.
If one provision of this Privacy Policy is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue to apply to the fullest extent permitted by law.