Last updated: 12 October 2026
Sri Lanka Calling (“we”, “us”, “our”) is a travel website that shares information, photos and stories about Sri Lanka. It is run from Sri Lanka by Sri Lanka Calling. This policy explains what personal information we collect, why, and what choices you have. We aim to follow Sri Lanka’s Personal Data Protection Act, No. 9 of 2022, and, because many of our visitors are in the United Kingdom, the principles of the UK GDPR.
Information we collect
1. Information you give us
- Photo submissions (Share Your Photo): your name, email address, photo caption and the photo file you upload.
- Story submissions (Share Your Story): your name, email address, the title and text of your story, the category you pick and an optional photo.
- Messages to us: anything you send by email, WhatsApp or our social media pages, including your contact details.
Submissions are held for review and are not shown publicly until we approve them. If approved, your name (as you typed it), your caption, and your photo or story are shown on the site as the credit. Your email address is never shown publicly; we use it only to contact you about your submission.
2. Star ratings
When you rate a location, we store only the rating (1 to 5) added to that location’s total. We do not store your name, email or IP address with the rating. Your browser keeps a small note for the current session (session storage) so the same rating box does not ask you to vote twice. It is deleted when you close your browser.
3. Information collected automatically
Like most websites, our web host and our analytics tools may record technical information such as your IP address, browser type, device, pages viewed and the date and time of your visit. We use this to keep the site secure and to understand which pages are useful. If you agree to analytics cookies, Google Analytics (via Google Site Kit) may set cookies on your device and send this information to Google.
How we use your information
- To review, publish and credit the photos and stories you submit.
- To reply to your messages and to contact you about your submission.
- To keep the site secure, prevent spam and fix problems.
- To understand how the site is used and improve it.
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not send marketing emails unless you have clearly asked us to.
Legal basis (for UK and EU visitors)
We process your information on these bases: your consent (when you submit a photo or story), our legitimate interests in running and securing the website, and, where needed, a legal obligation.
Third-party services
- Web hosting: the site is hosted by Hostinger, which stores site data and server logs.
- Google Fonts: our pages load fonts from Google, which means your browser contacts Google servers and your IP address is shared with them.
- YouTube: some location pages embed YouTube videos. When you play or load a video, YouTube may set cookies and collect data under Google’s own privacy policy.
- Google analytics tools: see “Information collected automatically” above.
- Facebook, YouTube and WhatsApp links: if you click through to these services, their own privacy policies apply.
Information may be processed in countries outside your own, including Sri Lanka and the countries where these providers operate.
Cookies
When you first visit, a cookie banner asks for your choice. Apart from essential cookies, nothing is switched on until you agree, and you can reject all with one click. You can change your choice at any time using “Cookie settings” in the footer.
- Essential: a cookie called
slc_consentremembers your choice for 6 months. Our rating box also uses your browser’s session storage (cleared when you close the browser). - Analytics: if you agree, Google Analytics (via Google Site Kit) may set cookies to measure visits.
- Advertising: if we show ads (for example Google AdSense) and you agree, Google and its partners may set cookies to show and measure ads. If you do not agree, we will not use them for personalised ads.
- Embedded media: YouTube videos stay blocked until you agree (or click “Allow YouTube and play”); YouTube may then set cookies under Google’s own privacy policy.
You can also block or delete cookies in your browser settings.
How long we keep your information
Approved photos and stories stay on the site until you ask us to remove them. Submissions we do not publish, and the related email addresses, are deleted within a reasonable time after review. Messages are kept only as long as needed to deal with them.
Your rights
You may ask us to tell you what personal information we hold about you, to correct it, to delete it (including removing your photo or story from the site), to restrict or object to its use, or to withdraw your consent at any time. UK and EU visitors may also complain to their data protection authority (in the UK, the Information Commissioner’s Office). To make a request, You can contact us through our Contact page.
Children
This site is not aimed at children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect their personal information. Please do not submit photos or stories on behalf of a child without a parent’s or guardian’s consent, and avoid uploading photos that clearly show other people’s children.
Security
We take reasonable steps to protect your information, including moderating all submissions and limiting upload types and sizes. No website can be completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top shows when it last changed. Our Terms & Disclaimer also apply to your use of this site.
Contact
You can contact us through our Contact page.