Privacy Policy

Last updated: [31/07/2026]

Sukhmilan (“we”, “us”, “our”) operates this matrimonial website (sukhmilan.com.au) (the “Platform”) for members of the Punjabi and Indian community in Australia and New Zealand seeking marriage introductions. This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why, how we protect it, and what rights you have.

We are committed to complying with the Australian Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), including the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) and the Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme, and the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020, including the Information Privacy Principles (IPPs), for all users regardless of which country they access the Platform from.

1. Information We Collect

We collect the following categories of information when you create and maintain a profile:

1.1 Identity & Contact Information

Full name, date of birth, gender, email address, phone number
City/region of residence in Australia or New Zealand
Photographs uploaded to your profile

1.2 Background & Lifestyle Information

Education, profession, income range (optional)
Marital status, lifestyle preferences
Partner preferences

1.3 Sensitive Information

Under the Australian Privacy Act, some of the information we collect is legally classed as “sensitive information”, which receives a higher standard of protection than other personal information. This includes:

Religion and gotra
Horoscope and birth details (date, time, place of birth) where provided for matching purposes
Visa/residency status
Family details and property information

We only collect this sensitive information with your explicit consent, given at the point of registration, and only use it for the purpose of enabling matrimonial matching on the Platform.

1.4 Verification Data

Phone number and/or email used for OTP (one-time password) verification via our verification provider
Records of verification attempts and contact-reveal access logs (to protect members from misuse and harassment)

1.5 Payment Information Once payment features are enabled: transaction records, subscription tier, and payment confirmation data. We do not store your full card number, CVV, or bank credentials — these are collected and processed directly by our payment processors (PayPal and/or Stripe), who are PCI-DSS compliant. We retain only transaction references and receipts.

1.6 Technical Information

IP address, device/browser type, log-in timestamps, general usage data for security and site improvement

2. How We Collect Information

We collect information directly from you when you:

Register or complete/update your profile
Verify your contact details via OTP
Make a payment
Contact our support team

We do not collect personal information about you from third parties without your knowledge, except where necessary for identity or fraud verification.

3. Why We Collect and Use Your Information

We use your information to:

Create and display your matrimonial profile to other verified members
Match you with compatible profiles based on your stated preferences
Verify your identity and contact details to reduce fake profiles
Process payments for premium features
Communicate with you about your account, matches, and support requests
Investigate and prevent misuse, harassment, or fraudulent activity on the Platform
Meet our legal and regulatory obligations

We do not use your sensitive information (religion, horoscope, gotra, etc.) for any purpose beyond matrimonial matching, and we do not sell your personal information to third parties.

4. Who We Share Your Information With

We disclose personal information only where necessary:

Recipient	Purpose	Information Shared
Other verified members	Matrimonial matching	Public profile data only, until you approve contact reveal
Twilio Inc. (OTP verification)	Identity/contact verification via WhatsApp/email/SMS	Phone number/email, verification codes
PayPal / Stripe	Payment processing	Transaction data (we do not see or store card details)
Hosting/infrastructure providers	Platform operation and security	Encrypted profile and account data
Law enforcement or regulators	Where required by law	As legally compelled

We do not share your sensitive information (horoscope, gotra, religion, visa status, family/property details) with any third party other than as strictly necessary to operate the Platform.

4.1 Overseas Disclosure

We disclose personal information to the following overseas recipients:

Twilio Inc. (OTP/contact verification) — processes and stores data by default in the United States (Twilio’s “US1” region, eastern United States), unless we configure region-specific data residency. Twilio’s current list of sub-processors and their locations is available at twilio.com/en-us/legal/sub-processors.
Stripe (payment processing) — Stripe engages a global network of sub-processors and affiliates across multiple countries. Stripe’s current list is available at stripe.com/legal/service-providers.
PayPal — PayPal has confirmed that it and its third-party service providers store and process personal data outside Australia, including in the United States and elsewhere.
Hostinger (website and database hosting) — our website and database are hosted on servers located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Backups are also stored in the United States (Boston).

Where your personal information is disclosed to these overseas recipients, we take reasonable steps to ensure it is handled consistently with the Australian Privacy Principles and the NZ Information Privacy Principles, including through contractual data protection terms with each provider. By using the Platform and providing your information, you consent to this overseas disclosure.

5. How We Protect Your Information

Sensitive profile data is stored in a separate, encrypted database table, isolated from public profile data
Contact details are only revealed to other members after OTP-based verification
All access to sensitive data is logged
Administrative access to the platform is restricted and hardened
Profile photos are protected against unauthorised copying [describe watermarking here once implemented]

No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, but we take industry-standard precautions to protect your information from unauthorised access, loss, or misuse.

6. Data Breach Notification

If we become aware of a data breach involving your personal information that is likely to result in serious harm, we will notify you and the relevant regulator (the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, and/or the New Zealand Privacy Commissioner, as applicable) in accordance with the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme and NZ Privacy Act 2020 requirements.

7. Data Retention and Deletion

We retain your profile information for as long as your account remains active.
If your profile becomes inactive for 12 months or you request account closure, we will deactivate your public profile and delete or de-identify your sensitive information within 14 days, except where we are required to retain limited records (e.g. transaction records) for legal or accounting purposes.
You may request deletion of your account and data at any time by contacting us (see Section 9).

8. Your Rights

Under the Australian Privacy Act and NZ Privacy Act, you have the right to:

Access the personal information we hold about you
Request correction of inaccurate or outdated information
Withdraw consent to the collection of sensitive information (noting this may limit matching functionality)
Lodge a complaint about how we have handled your information

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details in Section 9. If you are not satisfied with our response, Australian residents may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), and New Zealand residents may contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (NZ).

9. Contact Us

For privacy questions, complaints, or data access/deletion requests:

Contact us at: support@sukhmilan.com.au

10. Children

This Platform is intended for individuals aged 18 years and over seeking matrimonial introductions. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18.

11. Cookies

We use cookies to keep you logged in, remember your preferences, and understand site usage. You can control cookies through your browser settings.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be notified via email or a notice on the Platform. Continued use of the Platform after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.