Bandhan, a product of SSK Labs Inc. ("Bandhan," "we," "us," "our"), operates a matrimonial classifieds service for adults. These Standards set out our policies and practices against child sexual abuse and exploitation ("CSAE") across the Bandhan website and mobile application (the "Services").
We have zero tolerance for CSAE. These Standards apply to every person who uses the Services, in every country where the Services are available, and they apply whether or not the conduct also breaches our Terms & Conditions or Community Guidelines.
1. Our Commitment
Bandhan prohibits child sexual abuse and exploitation in every form. We do not permit child sexual abuse material ("CSAM") on the Services, and we do not permit the Services to be used to identify, contact, groom, solicit, exploit, or traffic a minor.
Any account found to be involved in CSAE is terminated permanently, without warning and without refund. Confirmed CSAM is removed and reported to the appropriate authorities. We cooperate with law enforcement requests made through lawful process.
2. Bandhan Is an Adults-Only Service
The Services are available only to adults. Two separate age rules are enforced, and both are applied on our servers rather than only in the app:
Account holders must be at least 18 years old. A date of birth is collected during registration and an account cannot be created with a date of birth under 18 years ago. The date of birth cannot be edited afterwards.
The person a matrimonial advertisement is about must be between 18 and 99 years old. Advertisements outside that range are rejected and cannot be stored.
Every advertisement is reviewed by a human moderator before it is published. Advertisements are never published automatically.
Where a parent, guardian, or relative posts an advertisement on behalf of another adult, the same 18+ rule applies to the person the advertisement is about. Posting an advertisement for, or seeking, a person under 18 is prohibited and will result in permanent removal.
If we learn that an account holder is under 18, we deactivate the account and delete the associated personal information.
3. Prohibited Conduct
The following are strictly prohibited on the Services. This list is illustrative, not exhaustive.
Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) — creating, uploading, requesting, linking to, distributing, or otherwise sharing any imagery, text, or other material that depicts or promotes the sexual abuse of a minor.
Sexualization of a minor — describing, depicting, or presenting a person under 18 in a sexualized manner, including through text, and including material that is drawn, edited, or computer-generated.
Child grooming — befriending, building trust with, or otherwise engaging a minor for the purpose of sexual contact, sexual content, or exploitation, whether on or off the Services.
Sextortion — threatening or blackmailing a minor using real or claimed intimate imagery.
Trafficking of a child — advertising, arranging, facilitating, or soliciting a minor for commercial sexual exploitation, forced marriage, or any comparable purpose.
Creating a profile or advertisement for a person under 18, seeking a person under 18, or misrepresenting a minor as an adult.
Using the Services to obtain the contact details of a minor.
4. How to Report a Child Safety Concern
You can report a child safety concern from inside the Bandhan app or website at any time, without needing an account and without leaving the app. Open Help & Support and choose the "Child Safety" category, or
open a Child Safety report directly.
You can also email us at support@bandhan.io. Every report is given a reference code so you can follow it up.
Please do not send us the material
Do not attach, forward, download, or re-share suspected child sexual abuse material — not to us, and not to anyone else. Possessing or transmitting it is a criminal offence in most jurisdictions, including India. Describe what you saw and where you saw it instead: the advertisement reference or link, the phone number or email address involved, and the date and time. That is enough for us to act.
If a child is in immediate danger, contact your local emergency services first. In India you can also call Childline on 1098.
5. How We Act on Reports
Child safety reports are prioritised ahead of all other support requests. Our commitments are:
We acknowledge every report within 24 hours of receipt.
We remove content that we determine to be CSAM, or that we reasonably suspect to be CSAM, within 24 hours of obtaining actual knowledge of it.
We permanently terminate the accounts involved and block re-registration where we are able to identify it.
We preserve records of the report and of the action we took, and we place them on legal hold where a report has been made to an authority.
We close out and respond to the reporter within 15 days.
We act on our own knowledge as well as on user reports. Because every advertisement is reviewed by a human moderator before publication, material that breaches these Standards is expected to be caught before it reaches other users.
6. Reporting to Authorities
Where we confirm CSAM or another CSAE offence, we report it to the relevant authorities in addition to removing it. Our process is to report to:
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), through the CyberTipline at https://report.cybertip.org.
In India, the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal at https://cybercrime.gov.in, and local law enforcement, under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 and the Information Technology Act, 2000.
Any other competent authority in the jurisdiction concerned, where applicable law requires it.
We comply with applicable child safety laws and regulations in the jurisdictions in which the Services are offered, and we respond to lawful requests for information from law enforcement.
8. Grievance Officer (India)
In accordance with the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, the Grievance Officer for Bandhan is:
To raise a grievance:
open the Grievance form. You will receive a reference code so you can follow the complaint up.
Complaints are acknowledged within 24 hours and disposed of within 15 days of receipt. Child sexual abuse material is removed within 24 hours of a complaint or of a lawful order.