Safety and Enforcement Policy

1. About this policy

SylhetiSpouse is a matrimonial introduction platform for adults in the United Kingdom seeking marriage. This policy explains what is prohibited on the platform, how we prevent it, what action we take, and how quickly.

It forms part of our agreement with members, alongside our Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and Membership and Payment Terms.

All moderation and enforcement decisions are made by the platform administrator. Every profile and every photograph is reviewed manually before it becomes visible to other members. We do not publish member content unreviewed.

Reporting

• Conduct, safety and misuse of photographs: safety@sylhetispouse.co.uk
• Data protection, law enforcement and regulatory requests: privacy@sylhetispouse.co.uk
• Membership and payment: support@sylhetispouse.co.uk

You do not need an account to make a report. All reports are acknowledged automatically on receipt.

If a person is in immediate danger, call 999. Do not wait for our response.

2. Safety controls

What these controls can and cannot do

These controls reduce risk. They do not remove it, and we do not claim that they do.

We review what members tell us and what they upload, but we cannot verify that every statement a member makes is true. We do not carry out identity checks. The profile-code overlay on photographs is a deterrent against copying, not a technical barrier, and we cannot prevent a member taking a screenshot with another device. Once contact details have been exchanged, communication takes place away from the platform and we have no visibility of it and no control over it.

For this reason, members should use their own judgement, take normal precautions, and involve their family as they would with any introduction. Where a member is concerned about the conduct of another member, whether on or off the platform, we ask them to report it to us so that we can act on it.

3. Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) violations

Our acceptable use rules are set out in full at section 6 of our Terms of Use. In summary, members must not:

• Misrepresent their age, marital status, children, immigration or legal status, occupation or any other material profile information
• Impersonate another person, or use another person's identity or photographs
• Hold more than one account
• Use the platform for anything other than genuine matrimonial purposes, including casual relationships, dating, friendship, recruitment, advertising or any commercial purpose
• Offer, solicit or advertise escort services, sexual services, adult content or any commercial sexual activity
• Harass, threaten, insult, pressure or repeatedly contact a member who has declined their interest
• Send abusive, obscene, sexual or otherwise inappropriate content
• Make racist, casteist, tribal or discriminatory remarks
• Attempt to shame, blackmail or expose another member
• Upload indecent, revealing or sexual images, or images of anyone other than themselves
• Screenshot, record, copy, save or share another member's photograph
• Publish another member's details, photographs or profile information outside the platform
• Place contact details in any profile field other than the designated contact number field
• Use bots, scrapers or automated tools, or attempt to bypass any restriction, payment requirement or safety feature

How we detect breaches

Manual pre-publication review of every profile and photograph; re-review of approved content at any time; reports from members and the public; and review of platform activity records where a concern is raised.

How we investigate

Every report is investigated. We log it with a reference, review the reported account and its activity history, and check for previous reports. We may contact the reporter for further detail, and we may contact the reported member. Where we identify a pattern of behaviour across more than one account, we treat it as a single case and act against all accounts involved.

Sanctions

Depending on severity and history, the outcome may be:

• No action, where the report is not substantiated
• A written warning
• Restriction of a particular feature
• The profile taken offline until the member corrects it
• Suspension
• Permanent removal, with the email address blocked from registering again

Timescales

All reports are acknowledged automatically on receipt.

• Child safety, threats to life, trafficking, coercion or non-consensual content: reviewed the same day. The account is suspended before investigation.
• Harassment, impersonation and misuse of photographs: reviewed within 2 working days, resolved within 5.
• All other reports: reviewed within 5 working days, resolved within 10.

Where a report is complex or we are awaiting a third party, we tell the reporter and give a revised timescale.

Where an account is suspended or removed we tell the member the reason. Where a report has been made, we tell the reporter the outcome. The decision on outcome is ours.

Refunds

Where a paid member is removed for breaching our rules, no refund is payable for the unused portion of their membership.

4. Child sexual abuse material

We have zero tolerance for child sexual abuse material of any kind.

Members must not upload, share, request or attempt to obtain any image of a child in any sexual or indecent context, or use the platform for any purpose connected with the sexual exploitation of children.

Our controls

The platform is restricted to adults aged 18 and over. Where a declared date of birth indicates the applicant is under 18, no profile is created, the account cannot be approved, and the applicant cannot be seen by or interact with any other member; the account is flagged to the administrator and deleted. Photographs are optional, limited to two, must be of the member themselves, and must not contain other identifiable people. Every photograph is manually reviewed and approved before it can be shared, so no unreviewed image can reach another member.

There is no messaging function on the platform. Members cannot send messages, images or files to one another. The only way a member sees another member's photograph is by requesting access and the owner approving that request, after the photograph has already been reviewed and approved by the administrator.

What we do

Where we identify, or are made aware of, suspected child sexual abuse material:

• We stop viewing it immediately and do not examine, copy or circulate it further
• We preserve the material and the associated account records in a secured state. We do not delete it, as deletion would destroy evidence
• We suspend the account and remove its content from view
• We report to the Internet Watch Foundation, the recognised United Kingdom body for reporting child sexual abuse imagery, and to the police
• Where we believe a child is in immediate danger, we call 999
• We cooperate fully with any subsequent request from the authorities, including preservation and disclosure of records

Sanction

Permanent removal, no refund, and a record retained for as long as the ban remains in force to prevent re-registration.

Suspected child safety concerns can be sent to safety@sylhetispouse.co.uk and are treated as the highest priority. Anyone may also report directly to the Internet Watch Foundation or the police without contacting us first.

5. Non-consensual and intimate imagery

Members must not upload a photograph of any person other than themselves; upload indecent, revealing or sexual imagery; screenshot, record, copy or save another member's photograph; or publish or share another member's photograph, contact details or profile information anywhere outside the platform.

Our controls

Photographs are private by default, are never displayed on a profile, and cannot be browsed. Access requires an explicit request and the owner's explicit approval, is limited to 20 seconds, and carries the viewing member's profile code as an overlay, which may help identify the source of any image later copied. Every photograph is manually reviewed before it can be shared. There is no messaging function, so no member can send an image to another member. Members may decline any request and may withdraw from a match at any time.

What we do

Reports that a member's image or personal information has been copied, shared or published without consent are treated as the highest priority and reviewed the same day. Where the report appears credible we suspend the reported account while we investigate. We use the profile-code overlay to help identify the account that viewed the image. We provide the affected member with the relevant record of who viewed the image and when, so that they can report the matter to the police or to the platform on which it appeared. We preserve the reported account's records and cooperate with any police request.

Sanction

Screenshotting, copying or sharing another member's photograph is a severe breach and will normally result in immediate permanent removal, with no refund, and the email address blocked from registering again.

6. Trafficking, forced marriage and coercion

Members must not use the platform in connection with human trafficking, modern slavery, forced marriage, marriage entered into for immigration advantage, or any arrangement involving coercion, deception or financial exploitation of a member or their family.

A profile must not be created for a person without their knowledge and agreement. Where a family member registers on behalf of an applicant, the person registering must confirm the applicant knows about the registration and has agreed to it. Anyone who discovers that a profile has been created about them without their agreement may contact privacy@sylhetispouse.co.uk and we will remove it.

Our controls

Every profile is manually reviewed before it goes live, and we contact applicants by telephone where anything requires checking. We charge for membership only, and take no fee, commission or payment in connection with any introduction, match, meeting or marriage. Contact details are exchanged only where both members separately confirm, and either may withdraw them at any time. We review activity records where a concern is raised.

What we do

Where we identify or suspect trafficking, forced marriage or coercion, the account is suspended immediately, before investigation. Records are preserved and our normal deletion schedule is suspended for that account. We report the matter to the police and to any other relevant United Kingdom authority. Where we believe a person is in immediate danger we call 999. We cooperate fully with any investigation.

Sanction

Permanent removal, no refund, and a record retained for as long as the ban remains in force.

If you feel you are being forced or pressured into a marriage by anyone, you can contact the police or a support organisation directly at any time. Nothing in this policy requires you to report to us first.

7. Impersonation and misrepresentation

Members must not create a profile using another person's identity, name or photographs; misrepresent their age, marital status, whether they have children, immigration or legal status in the United Kingdom, occupation or any other material fact; or hold more than one account.

Our controls

Every profile is manually reviewed before it goes live. Where anything appears inconsistent we ask questions and may contact the applicant by telephone. Photographs are separately reviewed and must be a clear, recent image of the member. Profiles that cannot be satisfactorily explained are declined. We may re-review an approved profile at any time.

This is a review, not identity verification. We do not verify that members are who they say they are, and we do not claim to. A determined person can misrepresent themselves despite these controls, which is why we ask members to take normal precautions and to report anything that does not seem right.

What we do

Where impersonation is reported or identified, we review the account and its activity history and check for related accounts. Where we identify a pattern across more than one account, we act against all of them.

Sanction

Confirmed impersonation will normally result in immediate permanent removal, no refund, and the email address blocked from registering again. Where impersonation involves fraud or another criminal offence we report it to the police. Where a member has been impersonated we will assist them in reporting the matter.

8. Illegal activity

Members must not use the platform for any activity that constitutes a criminal offence under the law of England and Wales, including fraud, blackmail, extortion, harassment, stalking, threats of violence, hate crime, immigration offences, money laundering, and offences relating to indecent images.

What we do

Where we identify or are made aware of suspected criminal activity, the account is suspended immediately, records are preserved, the matter is reported to the police, and the account is permanently removed where the concern is substantiated. Where there is a risk to life we call 999 without delay.

9. Law enforcement procedures

Requests from law enforcement and regulatory bodies should be sent to privacy@sylhetispouse.co.uk.

Requests must be made on official letterhead, identify the requesting officer and their force or body, state the legal basis for the request, and specify the data sought. We will not disclose personal data in response to an informal or unverified request.

How we handle requests

We acknowledge within 1 working day. We verify that every request is genuine before disclosing anything, contacting the relevant force or body through its own published official channels rather than relying on contact details supplied in the request. We assess each request individually and disclose only what is legally required. We respond as quickly as the request allows, and within 10 working days wherever possible; where a request is complex we agree a timescale with the requesting officer. Where legally permitted, we notify the member concerned. We record what was disclosed, to whom, and on what basis.

Emergencies

Where a request states that there is an immediate risk to life or of serious harm, we treat it as our highest priority and respond the same day, verifying the request as above before disclosing.

Where we identify a risk ourselves

Where we believe a member or any other person is in immediate danger, we contact the police directly, calling 999 where appropriate. We do not wait to be asked.

Preservation

On receiving a preservation request, or where we have reported a matter ourselves, we preserve the relevant account data and content and suspend our normal deletion schedule until the matter is resolved.

Proactive reporting

We report to the police, the Internet Watch Foundation, and other relevant United Kingdom authorities on our own initiative where we identify content or conduct of the kinds described in this policy.

Disclosure is made in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR, as set out at section 10 of our Privacy Policy.

10. Records of enforcement action

Where we permanently remove an account for a breach of this policy, we retain a minimal record to prevent re-registration and to allow us to respond to any appeal or to a request from the authorities. That record consists of the email address, the date, the category of breach, and a short factual note of what occurred. The profile, its content and any photographs are deleted.

Where the removal is permanent, the record is retained for as long as the ban remains in force. We review these records at least once a year and delete any that are no longer necessary.

Our lawful basis is legitimate interests, namely protecting members from a removed member returning under a new account. Anyone whose record we hold may ask us for a copy of it, ask us to correct it if it is inaccurate, or object to us holding it, by contacting privacy@sylhetispouse.co.uk. We will consider any objection and respond within one calendar month. This is set out at section 4 of our Privacy Policy.

11. Appeals

If your account has been suspended or removed and you believe we have made a mistake, email safety@sylhetispouse.co.uk within 30 days explaining why. We will review the decision and respond within 10 working days. Our decision on appeal is final unless new evidence comes to light.

We do not accept appeals in relation to child sexual abuse material.

12. Review

We review this policy at least once a year, and whenever we make a significant change to the platform. We keep internal records of moderation and enforcement decisions.

13. Contact

• Safety and conduct: safety@sylhetispouse.co.uk
• Data protection and law enforcement: privacy@sylhetispouse.co.uk
• Membership and payment: support@sylhetispouse.co.uk
• Company: SylhetiSpouse, a trading name of MUK Recruitment Ltd
• Company number: 14749558
• Registered address: 124 City Road, London, United Kingdom, EC1V 2NX
• ICO registration: ZB580998