This page explains how to delete an Emma Thinking account, what is deleted, what is retained and for how long, and how to make a deletion request. It gives effect to the right of erasure conferred by the Personal Data Protection Act No. 9 of 2022.
1. HOW TO REQUEST DELETION
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Send a request from your registered email address to info@emmathinking.com, or send a message from your registered WhatsApp number to 0117 822 228 |
| 2 | State your full name and registered mobile number, and that you wish your account and personal data to be deleted |
| 3 | We verify your identity before acting. This protects you against another person requesting the deletion of your account. |
| 4 | We confirm receipt and tell you what will be deleted and what must be retained |
| 5 | Deletion is completed within 30 days of the verified request |
1.1 We respond to every request within twenty-one (21) days.
1.2 Deletion is free of charge.
2. WHAT IS DELETED
Within 30 days of a verified request, the following are deleted or irreversibly anonymised:
| Data | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Your profile and all profile fields | Deleted |
| All photographs you uploaded | Deleted |
| Your identity document and its number | Deleted |
| Your facial verification template | Deleted |
| Your verification photograph | Deleted |
| Your religion, caste, ethnicity, horoscope and birth details | Deleted |
| Your messages on the platform | Deleted |
| Your partner preferences and platform activity | Deleted |
| Your email address and telephone number | Deleted, save as at section 3 |
| Telephone call recordings | Deleted, save as at section 3 |
| Your inclusion in any advertising audience | Removed |
3. WHAT IS RETAINED, AND WHY
Certain records cannot be deleted. Each is listed below with the reason and the period.
| Record | Period | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Payment and transaction records | 6 years | Required by Sri Lankan tax and companies legislation. Retained in accounting records only; not linked to your profile. |
| Records subject to a safety report, complaint, investigation or legal claim | Until the matter concludes, and 5 years thereafter | See section 4 |
| Record of removal for serious misconduct | 5 years | So that a person removed for harming another member cannot simply register again. Limited to what is necessary to prevent re-registration. |
| Record of your deletion request and your marketing opt-out | 2 years | Proof that we acted on your instruction and that we do not contact you again |
| Aggregated and anonymised statistics | Indefinite | Contains no information from which you can be identified |
4. WHERE A SAFETY REPORT EXISTS
4.2 A person who has harmed another must not be able to erase the evidence of it, and Sri Lanka Police may require those records.
4.3 Preserved records are locked from ordinary access, are used only for the investigation and any resulting legal or criminal proceedings, and are deleted upon conclusion of the matter and expiry of the retention period at section 3.
4.4 This is permitted under the Personal Data Protection Act No. 9 of 2022, where processing is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims, for compliance with a legal obligation, or to protect the vital interests of a person.
4.5 Where this exception applies to your request, we will tell you so, and we will tell you when the records are subsequently deleted.
5. WHAT WE CANNOT DELETE
5.1 We cannot recover or delete material which has passed outside our systems. In particular:
- a photograph or message another member has saved or screenshotted;
- a profile you permitted us to share outside the platform, once sent;
- a message you sent to another person on WhatsApp or by any other channel; or
- anything you published or sent yourself.
5.2 Where another person has misused material belonging to you, this is a conduct matter. Report it under the Report a Member procedure and, where the material is intimate, to the Police Computer Crime Investigation Division on 011 238 1045.
6. DELETION IS PERMANENT
6.2 Any unused entitlement under a Package is forfeited on deletion. If you wish to stop for a period rather than end permanently, you may instead:
- ask us to hide your profile, so it is shown to nobody, and restore it whenever you wish; or
- request a suspension of your Package for up to three months, once per Package, free of charge, which preserves your unused entitlements.
6.3 Deletion does not of itself entitle you to a refund. Refunds are governed by the Refund & Cancellation Policy.
6.4 If you register again in future, you will be a new member and must complete verification afresh.
7. RELATED CONTROLS
If deletion is more than you need, the following may be requested instead, at any time and free of charge:
| Request | Effect |
|---|---|
| Hide my profile | Your profile is shown to nobody. Restored on request. |
| Suspend my Package | Up to 3 months, once per Package. Unused entitlements preserved. |
| Withdraw consent for sensitive fields | Religion, caste, ethnicity and horoscope removed from your profile. Membership otherwise unaffected. |
| Withdraw consent for facial verification | Your facial template is deleted. Your profile can no longer be verified and will not be shown to members. |
| Stop marketing messages | Reply STOP on WhatsApp, use the unsubscribe link in an email, or contact us |
| Remove me from advertising audiences | Your contact details are excluded from Meta Custom and Lookalike Audiences |
| Never share my profile outside the platform | Recorded permanently on your account |
| Send me a copy of my data | Provided in a structured electronic format within 21 days |
8. THIRD PARTIES
8.1 Where you signed in using Google or Facebook, deleting your Emma Thinking account does not affect your Google or Facebook account. You may separately revoke our access from within those accounts.
8.2 Our database provider and other processors delete data in accordance with our instruction and their contractual obligations. Backup copies are overwritten in the ordinary course and no later than 90 days.
9. IF WE DECLINE A REQUEST
9.1 Where we decline to delete data, we will tell you which data, and on what ground.
9.2 You may appeal in writing to info@emmathinking.com within fourteen (14) days. A manager who was not party to the original decision will consider it and respond within ten (10) working days.
9.3 You may also complain to the Data Protection Authority of Sri Lanka, established under the Personal Data Protection Act No. 9 of 2022.
10. SOMEONE ACTING ON YOUR BEHALF
A family member or lawyer may make a deletion request for you. We require written proof of that authority and may contact you directly to confirm it. This requirement protects you against a request made without your knowledge.
CONTACT
Seeduwa, Negombo, Sri Lanka · Company Registration: PV 00326395
Email: info@emmathinking.com
Telephone and WhatsApp: 0117 822 228
Website: emmathinking.com