Legal
Privacy Policy
Last updated: August 2026
Your privacy matters deeply to us. This Platform handles sensitive personal information, including religious beliefs, family background, and relationship intentions. We treat all of it with care, discretion, and the respect it deserves.
1. Who we are
Shareek-é-Ruh Pty Ltd ("we", "us", "our") operates the Shareek-é-Ruh matrimony platform. For data protection purposes, we are the data controller. Our registered address and Data Protection contact can be reached at privacy@shareekeruh.com.
2. What data we collect
We collect the following categories of personal data:
Account data
- Email address
- Password (stored as a one-way hash, never readable)
- Account role (seeker)
Profile data
- Full name, age, city, country
- Photos (optional, approved before display)
- Bio, career, education
- Islamic practice details (prayer frequency, hijab/beard, madhab)
- Family background and expectations
- Relationship and marriage intentions
Sensitive personal data
- Religious beliefs and practice (special category data under GDPR)
- We collect this only because it is central to the service and with your explicit consent
Values and story data
- Responses to our values questionnaire and story questions
- Used to generate compatibility scores and inform matchmaking
Communications data
- Messages sent via the chaperoned chat system
- Consultation call recordings (with notice)
- Support correspondence
Usage data
- Pages visited, features used, login timestamps
- Device type, browser, IP address
- Aggregate analytics on our public pages, via Google Analytics (see section 7)
3. How we use your data
Basis: Contract performance
Providing the matchmaking, consultation, and chaperoned chat service you have signed up for.
Basis: Legitimate interests
Platform security, fraud prevention, improving the service, and communicating service updates.
Basis: Legal obligation
Complying with applicable law, responding to lawful requests from authorities, and safeguarding.
Basis: Explicit consent
Processing special category data (religious beliefs). You may withdraw consent at any time, note this may mean we cannot provide the service.
4. Who we share your data with
We do not sell your data. We share it only with:
- Our moderation and matchmaking team, to review profiles and facilitate introductions.
- Cloud infrastructure providers (hosting, database), under strict data processing agreements.
- Payment processors (Stripe), only payment data; they do not receive profile content.
- Email service providers, to send transactional emails (e.g. consultation confirmations).
- Google Analytics, which receives aggregated usage data (such as pages visited, device type, and approximate location) to help us understand how our public pages are used. We never send your name, email, or profile content to Google.
- Law enforcement or safeguarding bodies, only where legally required or to prevent serious harm.
Other members will see only the information you have explicitly made visible in your profile. Full names, photos, and contact details are revealed only after a match has been approved and you have consented.
5. How long we keep your data
6. Your rights
Under the Australian Privacy Act 1988 (and equivalent legislation such as the UK/EU GDPR for international members), you have the right to:
- Access, request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Rectification, ask us to correct inaccurate data.
- Erasure, request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten"), subject to legal obligations.
- Restriction, ask us to limit how we use your data while a concern is being investigated.
- Portability, receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
- Object, object to processing based on legitimate interests.
- Withdraw consent, for special category data, at any time.
To exercise any of these rights, email privacy@shareekeruh.com. We will respond within 30 days.
7. Cookies & analytics
We use essential cookies to keep you logged in and maintain session security. On our public marketing pages we also use Google Analytics, which sets analytics cookies to help us understand aggregate usage patterns, such as which pages are visited and on what kind of device, so we can improve the experience for current and future members.
We use analytics for insight only. We do not use advertising cookies, we do not run ad-targeting pixels, and we do not build advertising profiles of you. The waitlist page carries no analytics tracker or cookies at all. You can disable cookies in your browser settings (essential cookies are needed for core functionality), and you can opt out of Google Analytics using Google’s browser add-on at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
8. Data security
We use industry-standard security measures: encrypted connections (TLS), encrypted database storage, hashed passwords, and access controls limiting which team members can view sensitive profile data. No system is entirely secure, but we take our obligations seriously and review security practices regularly.
9. International transfers
As an Australian business, your data is handled in compliance with the Australian Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles. Where infrastructure or service providers process data outside Australia, transfers are made under appropriate safeguards (such as standard contractual clauses), and we take reasonable steps to ensure overseas recipients handle your data consistently with Australian law.
10. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy. We will notify you of material changes by email and by notice on the Platform. The "last updated" date at the top of this page always reflects the most recent version.
11. Contact & complaints
For privacy questions or concerns: privacy@shareekeruh.com
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at oaic.gov.au. International members may also contact their local data protection authority.