Safety & Community

Most people who come to Emma Thinking are trusting a stranger with the most important decision of their life. Part of taking that seriously is being honest about what our verification does and does not establish.

Please read section 2 even if you read nothing else on this page.

1. WHAT WE DO TO KEEP THE PLATFORM SAFE

2. WHAT VERIFICATION DOES NOT PROVE

3. THREE RULES THAT ARE NEVER NEGOTIABLE

4. BEFORE AND DURING A FIRST MEETING

• Meet in a public place, a restaurant, a hotel lobby, a café. Never a private room, apartment, hotel room or house, and never a place you do not know.
• If they suggest going somewhere private "just to talk", the meeting ends. Leave. You owe no explanation and no politeness.
• Tell a family member or friend where you are going, who with, and when you expect to be back. Share your location with them.
• Arrange your own transport both ways. Do not let anyone drive you anywhere, and do not get into a vehicle with someone you have just met.
• Bring someone if you want to. A family member or friend accompanying you is completely normal and any decent person will accept it without complaint.
• Keep your phone charged and with you.
• You may leave at any moment, for any reason or none. Feeling uncomfortable is reason enough.
• Take your time. Nobody serious about marriage is in a hurry.

5. WARNING SIGNS WORTH ACTING ON

6. CONDUCT THAT RESULTS IN PERMANENT REMOVAL

These apply wherever the conduct happens, on our platform, on WhatsApp, on a telephone call, at a meeting we arranged, or anywhere else, as long as the contact began through Emma Thinking.

7. HOW TO REPORT SOMETHING

What happens when you report

8. IF YOU ARE IN DANGER RIGHT NOW

If you are in immediate danger, call 119 for Police emergency.

If someone is threatening you with intimate images

• Do not pay, and do not send more. It never stops the threats.
• Save the evidence before you block anyone, screenshots of the threats, the account, the phone number
• Report it to the Computer Crime Investigation Division. Threatening to share intimate images is a criminal offence in Sri Lanka, and the law is on your side
• Tell someone you trust. Isolation is what the person threatening you is relying on
• Tell us, so we can suspend their access and preserve the records for the police

If you have signed a financial document under pressure

• See a lawyer this week. Not next month.
• Write to the bank or finance company immediately, setting out that you signed under deception or duress. Keep proof that you sent it. Doing this before anything goes wrong on the loan is what gives a lawyer something to work with
• Report it to the police and keep the complaint number
• Tell us, so the member is removed and other members are protected

9. WHAT WE CANNOT DO

We would rather be honest about our limits than let you rely on protection that does not exist.

• We cannot supervise what happens between members once they are in contact, and we are not present at private meetings
• We cannot guarantee anyone's character or intentions
• We cannot verify employment, income, qualifications or criminal history
• We cannot recover a photograph or message once it has been sent to another person
• We cannot act as police, as a court, or as your lawyer, and where a matter is criminal, it belongs with the police, not with us

What we can do is verify identity properly, act quickly when we are told something is wrong, keep the records that let the authorities act, and remove people who harm our members.

10. OUR COMMITMENTS TO YOU

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Emma Thinking is a matrimonial service. Every member is engaged in one of the most consequential decisions of their life, and in most cases their family is engaged in it with them. The standard of conduct required here is accordingly higher than that of a general social or dating platform.

These Guidelines form part of the Terms & Conditions. They apply to every member, whether or not a Package has been purchased, and they apply to conduct on the platform, in messages and calls, at meetings arranged through the service, and in any subsequent contact arising from it.

1. ELIGIBILITY AND ONE PROFILE PER PERSON

1.1 A member must be eighteen (18) years of age or older and must verify their age against a government-issued identity document.

1.2 A member must be legally free to marry, unmarried, widowed, or divorced pursuant to a final decree.

1.3 A person may hold one profile only. Duplicate profiles are closed.

1.4 A profile must belong to the member personally. A family member may assist with registration, but the member must personally complete verification and personally consent to the registration.

2. PHOTOGRAPHS

2.1 Photographs are screened automatically upon upload. Nude, sexual and otherwise inappropriate images are removed automatically.

2.2 Photographs are compared automatically against the member's verification photograph. A photograph which does not depict the verified member will not be published.

3. PROFILE INFORMATION

3.1 A member must state truthfully their age, civil status, education, occupation and district.

3.2 A member who has children must disclose that fact.

3.3 A member who has been previously married must disclose that fact.

3.4 A member with a significant health condition which would reasonably bear upon a decision to marry should disclose it privately to their matchmaker at the appropriate stage.

3.5 A profile must not contain contact details, business names, website addresses or social media handles.

3.6 A profile must not be used to advertise or promote anything.

4. CONDUCT IN CONVERSATION

4.1 A member should open a conversation courteously and with reference to something specific in the other member's profile.

4.2 Where a member ceases to respond, contact must cease. Absence of a reply is a reply.

4.3 Where a member declines, the decision must be accepted on the first occasion.

4.4 A member must not press another member for a telephone number, home address, place of work or social media account.

4.5 A member must not press another member for a video call or a meeting before that member is willing.

4.6 A member must not propose that a woman meet alone, at a private residence, or late at night, early in an acquaintance.

4.7 A member must not ask another member to conceal the acquaintance from their family.

4.8 Photographs and other images may not be sent through platform messages.

5. CONDUCT AT MEETINGS

5.1 Early meetings should take place in a public place.

5.2 A member must accept, without complaint, that the other member may be accompanied by a family member or friend. This is customary and appropriate.

5.3 A member must not propose moving to a private room, residence or hotel room. A proposal of that kind, however framed, entitles the other member to end the meeting immediately.

5.4 A member must never pressure another member into physical contact of any kind.

5.5 A member who decides not to continue should say so directly and courteously. Ceasing contact after a family has been introduced is a discourtesy to that entire family.

6. PROHIBITED CONDUCT

6.1 The following conduct is prohibited. It is prohibited wherever it occurs, on the platform, on WhatsApp, on a telephone call, at a meeting, or anywhere else, provided the contact between the members began through Emma Thinking.

7. FINANCIAL REQUESTS

8. INTIMATE IMAGES

8.1 A member shall not request, solicit or send any nude, sexual or otherwise intimate photograph or recording.

8.2 A member shall not retain, distribute, publish or threaten to distribute or publish any intimate image or recording of another member.

8.3 Such conduct may constitute an offence under the Obscene Publications Ordinance, the Penal Code, the Computer Crime Act No. 24 of 2007 and the Online Safety Act No. 9 of 2024. Emma Thinking reports such conduct to Sri Lanka Police.

8.4 Members are strongly advised never to send an intimate image to any person met through this or any other service. Once sent, such material passes permanently beyond the sender's control.

9. PREFERENCES AND DISCRIMINATION

9.1 Emma Thinking operates within a culture in which families consider religion, caste, horoscope and background. The Company does not require members to set those considerations aside, and matchmakers will work to a member's stated preferences.

9.2 Stating a preference is permitted. Disparaging those who do not meet it is not.

10. PRIVACY OF OTHER MEMBERS

10.1 Information disclosed by one member to another in confidence must be kept in confidence.

10.2 A member must not copy, screenshot, save, publish, forward or otherwise distribute another member's photographs, messages or personal details.

10.3 A member must not show another member's profile to a third party without that member's consent.

10.4 A breach of this section results in permanent removal without refund.

11. CONDUCT TOWARD OUR STAFF

11.1 Matchmakers, counsellors and agents are entitled to be treated with courtesy.

11.2 Abusive, threatening, sexual or otherwise inappropriate conduct toward any member of staff results in a warning and, on repetition or in a serious case, in removal.

11.3 Telephone calls with staff are recorded. Members are notified of this at the start of each call.

12. REPORTING

12.2 Neither proof nor certainty is required in order to make a report.

12.3 The identity of a person making a report is never disclosed to the member reported.

12.4 Reporting and blocking are free to every member and consume no part of any Package.

12.5 Every report is acknowledged within twenty-four (24) hours. Reports concerning assault, threats, intimate images, financial requests or a person under eighteen are acted upon within one (1) hour, and the member's access is suspended immediately pending investigation.

12.6 Where a report is made, the Company preserves all records relating to the account concerned, notwithstanding any request by that member to delete the account or the associated data.

13. ENFORCEMENT

13.1 Not every breach is treated alike. A first, minor and evidently unintentional lapse is not treated as a member who has set out to cause harm.

14. APPEALS

14.1 A member may appeal against a warning, suspension or removal by written notice to info@emmathinking.com within fourteen (14) days, setting out the grounds of appeal.

14.2 The appeal is considered by a manager who was not party to the original decision, and is answered within ten (10) working days.

14.3 The Company does not disclose the identity of any person who has made a report.

14.4 Decisions are reversed where the evidence supports it.

15. OUR OBLIGATIONS TO MEMBERS

These Guidelines impose obligations upon members. The Company holds itself to the following corresponding commitments.

• Every member shown as Verified has been verified against a government-issued identity document.
• Member profiles are never made public and are excluded from search engine indexing.
• A member's contact details are never disclosed to another member without that member's approval for the specific introduction.
• A member's profile is shared outside the platform only with that member's permission, given separately on each occasion.
• Personal data is never sold.
• Reports are acknowledged within twenty-four hours, and acted upon within one hour where a member may be at risk.
• Reports are accepted from any person, whether or not they are a member.
• Blocking and reporting are never restricted by Package.
• The Company cooperates fully with Sri Lanka Police.
• No member is pressured into a Package, and no outcome is promised.

Where the Company falls short of any of the foregoing, members are asked to say so at info@emmathinking.com.

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Financial exploitation is the most serious risk faced by users of matrimonial and introduction services in Sri Lanka. It is committed not by strangers but by persons who have first established trust, and the losses sustained are frequently very large.

This Policy sets out the conduct Emma Thinking prohibits absolutely, the measures the Company takes, the warning signs every member should recognise, and the steps to be taken by a person who has been targeted. It forms part of the Terms & Conditions.

1. THE THREE ABSOLUTE RULES

1.4 A request falling within any of the foregoing is not a difficulty within a developing relationship. It is the warning itself. The correct response is to refuse, to provide no explanation, and to report the matter to Emma Thinking immediately.

2. PROHIBITED CONDUCT

2.1 A member shall not, in any circumstances, request or induce another person met through the services to:

• sign, execute, or stand as guarantor or surety in respect of any loan, lease, hire purchase agreement, guarantee, mortgage, promissory note, bond or other financial or legal instrument;
• lend, gift, transfer, invest or otherwise provide money or anything of value;
• provide bank account details, card details, or access to any financial account;
• provide a National Identity Card, passport or other identity document, or a copy of one;
• participate in any investment, business venture, trading scheme, cryptocurrency arrangement or multi-level marketing scheme;
• open an account, take out a policy, or enter into any contract; or
• receive, hold or transmit money or goods on that member's behalf.

2.2 The prohibition applies irrespective of the reason advanced, the length of the acquaintance, the relationship said to exist between the parties, or the apparent willingness of the person asked.

2.3 The prohibition applies wherever the request is made, on the platform, on WhatsApp, by telephone, at a meeting, or elsewhere, provided the contact between the parties began through Emma Thinking.

3. CONDUCT WHICH MAY CONSTITUTE A CRIMINAL OFFENCE

3.1 Conduct of the kind described in this Policy may constitute an offence under the law of Sri Lanka, including:

3.2 Nothing in this Policy limits the right of any person to make a complaint to Sri Lanka Police independently of the Company.

4. MEASURES TAKEN BY THE COMPANY

5. WHAT VERIFICATION DOES NOT ESTABLISH

6. WARNING SIGNS

7. IMPERSONATION OF EMMA THINKING

8. IF A MEMBER HAS BEEN TARGETED

8.1 Where money has been requested but not sent

• Send nothing and sign nothing.
• Retain the messages. Do not delete the conversation and do not block the person before the messages have been saved.
• Report the matter to Emma Thinking on 0117 822 228 or at info@emmathinking.com.

8.2 Where money has been sent

• Contact the bank or payment provider immediately and ask whether the transaction can be stopped or recalled.
• Report the matter to Sri Lanka Police and obtain the complaint number.
• Report the matter to Emma Thinking so that the account may be suspended and the records preserved.
• Do not send further sums in an attempt to recover the first. This is a standard feature of such schemes.

8.3 Where a financial document has been signed

8.4 Where intimate images are being used to threaten

• Do not pay, and do not send further material. Payment does not end the threats.
• Save evidence of the threats before blocking the person.
• Report the matter to the Police Computer Crime Investigation Division. Threatening to distribute intimate images is a criminal offence in Sri Lanka.
• Inform a person the member trusts. Isolation is what the person making the threats relies upon.
• Report the matter to Emma Thinking so that access may be suspended and records preserved for the police.

9. REPORTING AND ASSISTANCE

Reports concerning financial requests are acted upon within one (1) hour, and the member's access is suspended immediately pending investigation. The identity of a person making a report is never disclosed to the member reported.

9.2 External assistance

In an emergency, telephone 119 for Police.

10. LIMITS OF THE COMPANY'S RESPONSIBILITY

10.1 The Company verifies identity, screens photographs, removes members who breach this Policy, preserves records and cooperates with the police.

10.2 The Company cannot supervise communications or meetings between members, cannot vouch for character or intention, cannot recover money that has been sent, and cannot set aside a document that has been signed.

10.3 The Company's liability is limited as provided at clause 25 of the Terms & Conditions. In particular, the Company is not liable for loss arising from a financial instrument executed by a member.

10.4 The rules at section 1 exist because they are the point at which a member retains complete control. Once a document is signed or money is sent, control passes.

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IF YOU ARE IN DANGER NOW

Telephone 119 for Police emergency. Do not wait to contact us first.

1. HOW TO REPORT

1.1 You may also speak to your matchmaker directly, at any time.

1.2 Reporting and blocking are free for every member, whether or not a Package has been purchased, and use no part of any Package.

2. WHAT TO TELL US

Tell us as much as you can. Anything you cannot supply is not a barrier to us acting.

3. WHAT YOU CAN REPORT

4. WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU REPORT

5. CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROTECTION

5.2 We will not contact the person you reported to inform them that a report has been made about them by you, and we will not put you in contact with them.

5.3 We do not mediate between a person making a report and the person reported. Where a matter is criminal it belongs with the police.

5.4 Where you tell us you are frightened, we treat the matter as urgent and will discuss with you how and when it is safe to contact you.

5.5 Your report is retained as described in the Privacy Policy. Where you are not a member, we retain only what is necessary to investigate the matter and to respond to any police enquiry.

6. PRESERVATION OF RECORDS

7. GOING TO THE POLICE

7.1 Reporting to Emma Thinking is not a substitute for reporting to the police, and you do not need our permission or involvement to do so.

7.2 Where the conduct involves assault, threats, intimate images, fraud or a financial instrument, we encourage you to file a complaint at your local police station or with the Computer Crime Investigation Division, and to keep the complaint number.

7.3 Emma Thinking cooperates fully with Sri Lanka Police and will provide the records we hold when lawfully required, including identity documents, messages, call recordings and payment records.

7.4 Where we consider it necessary to investigate a crime or to prevent serious harm, we may report a matter to the police ourselves.

8. FALSE REPORTS

8.1 A report made in good faith which is not upheld carries no consequence for the person who made it. We would far rather receive a report that comes to nothing than not receive one that mattered.

8.2 A report made maliciously, in the knowledge that it is false, is itself a breach of the Community Guidelines and may result in removal.

9. IF YOU ARE THE PERSON REPORTED

9.1 You will be informed that a report has been received and, so far as is possible without identifying the person who made it, of the nature of the concern.

9.2 Except in the urgent categories at section 3, you will ordinarily be given an opportunity to respond before a decision is taken.

9.3 You may appeal any warning, suspension or removal in writing to info@emmathinking.com within fourteen (14) days. The appeal is considered by a manager who was not party to the original decision and answered within ten (10) working days. Decisions are reversed where the evidence supports it.

9.4 The identity of the person who made the report will not be disclosed to you at any stage, including on appeal.

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Matrimonial and introduction services are, internationally, a channel through which human trafficking, forced marriage and labour exploitation are attempted. Sri Lanka is a country of origin for very large numbers of migrant workers, and marriage is at times used as a pretext for arrangements which are neither consensual nor lawful.

Emma Thinking states its position on these matters openly. This statement sets out the conduct we prohibit absolutely, the measures we take, the warning signs our staff are trained to recognise, and the standards to which we hold our own business.

1. PROHIBITED ABSOLUTELY

1.1 Conduct of this kind may constitute an offence under the Penal Code of Sri Lanka, including the offences relating to trafficking in persons, procuration, and unlawful confinement, and under legislation governing foreign employment. Emma Thinking reports such conduct to Sri Lanka Police in every case.

1.2 This section applies to members, to any person acting on a member's behalf, to a member's family, and to any third party using our service as a channel.

2. CONSENT IS THE FOUNDATION OF THIS SERVICE

3. MEASURES WE TAKE

4. WARNING SIGNS

Our staff are trained to escalate, on the same day, where any of the following is observed. Members and their families are asked to do the same.

5. REPORTING A CONCERN

Concerns of this nature are treated as critical. Access is suspended within one hour, records are preserved the same day, and the matter is reported to Sri Lanka Police. The identity of the person raising the concern is never disclosed to the person reported.

5.2 External assistance

In an emergency, telephone 119 for Police.

6. OUR OWN BUSINESS CONDUCT

The standards above concern the conduct of members. The following concern our own.

7. INTERNATIONAL MEMBERS

7.1 A significant proportion of our members live and work abroad, and a proportion of those are employed in sectors in which exploitation is documented.

7.2 We are aware that an introduction service can be used as a route by which a person is brought to, or removed from, a country under a pretext. Our staff are briefed accordingly.

7.3 Emma Thinking provides matchmaking. We do not provide, arrange or advise upon immigration, visas, foreign employment or travel, and we do not act as an agent for any employer or recruitment agency.

7.4 Interest expressed in a member's passport, visa status or eligibility to travel, rather than in the member, is treated as a warning sign under section 4.

8. REVIEW

This statement is approved by the board of Emma Thinking (Private) Limited and reviewed annually. It is issued voluntarily; no Sri Lankan statute presently requires its publication. We publish it because a service that introduces people for marriage should be willing to state where it stands.

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