Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are and Scope of This Policy

This Privacy Policy describes how RootedIn.us ("Company," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal information when you use our website and family tree platform (collectively, the "Service").

This policy applies to all information collected through the Service, regardless of how you access it (desktop, mobile browser, etc.). It does not apply to third-party websites or services linked from the Service, which have their own privacy policies.

By using the Service, you consent to the data practices described in this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Account and Profile Information

When you register for an account, you may provide:

• Full name (first, middle, last) and preferred name variants;
• Email address (required);
• Password (stored as a one-way bcrypt hash — we never store your plaintext password);
• Phone number (optional, used for SMS verification if provided);
• Date of birth (optional);
• Profile photo (if provided via OAuth or direct upload);
• Address, profession, and biographical notes (optional); and
• Social media links: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Telegram (optional).

2.2 Family Tree Data

The primary purpose of the Service is to store and organize family information. You may enter data about family members, including living and deceased individuals, such as:

• Names (English and optional language variants);
• Birth date, birth time, birth city/state/country;
• Death date, death time, death city/state/country;
• Contact details: email, phone, address;
• Profession and biographical notes (public and private);
• Photos (multiple images per member);
• Social media links;
• Family relationships (parent, child, spouse, sibling, divorce/separation dates); and
• Tree visualization metadata (position coordinates, card color).

You are responsible for obtaining any required consents from living individuals before entering their data into the Service.

2.3 Authentication Data

• Email verification tokens and 6-digit codes (temporary, deleted after use);
• Password reset tokens (temporary, expire after use);
• OAuth tokens from Google or Facebook if you sign in via those providers (we receive only your name, email, and profile photo — we do not receive your social passwords); and
• Session tokens managed by NextAuth.js for keeping you logged in.

2.4 Technical and Usage Data

We automatically collect certain technical information when you use the Service:

• IP address (used for security monitoring and fraud prevention);
• Browser type and version, operating system, device type;
• Pages visited, features used, and timestamps;
• Error logs and crash reports; and
• Email event logs (e.g., whether a verification email was sent — not the content of your emails).

Some of this usage data is collected through Google Analytics (see Section 5). We use it solely to operate, improve, and secure the Service. We do not use it for behavioral advertising or to build marketing profiles.

2.5 AI Chat Inputs

If you use the AI-assisted chat feature, the natural-language text you type in that feature is transmitted to our third-party AI provider (currently Groq) for processing. Please see Section 5 for details.

2.6 Support Communications

If you contact us for support, we collect and store the content of your messages and any contact information you provide so we can respond to your inquiry.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect exclusively for the following purposes:

• Providing the Service: Storing, organizing, and displaying your family tree data to you and authorized collaborators;
• Authentication and Account Security: Verifying your identity, managing your login session, and protecting your account;
• Transactional Communications: Sending you emails and SMS messages you explicitly requested — such as verification codes, password reset links, invitation notifications, and account-related alerts;
• AI Feature: Passing your AI chat inputs to our AI provider to generate family member suggestions on your behalf;
• Collaboration: Enabling collaborators you invite to access the shared family tree data you authorize them to see;
• Support: Responding to your support requests and inquiries;
• Security and Fraud Prevention: Detecting, investigating, and preventing unauthorized access, abuse, fraud, and security incidents;
• Service Improvement: Analyzing aggregate, anonymized usage patterns to improve features and fix bugs; and
• Legal Compliance: Complying with applicable laws and legal processes and enforcing our Terms of Service.

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, trade, or license your personal information or family tree data to any third party for commercial purposes. We share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

• With Authorized Collaborators: Family members you explicitly invite to your tree can access the data you grant them permission to view or edit. You control all collaborator access and can revoke it at any time.
• With Service Providers (Sub-Processors): We share data with trusted third-party vendors that help us operate the Service (see Section 5). These providers are contractually required to use your data only as directed by us and in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
• With Your Explicit Consent: In any other circumstance where you have expressly authorized a specific disclosure.
• For Legal Compliance: If required by applicable law, valid legal process (such as a court order or subpoena), or at the request of a law enforcement agency with legal authority. Where permitted by law, we will attempt to notify you before disclosing.
• To Protect Rights and Safety: When we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to prevent imminent harm to any person, protect the rights or property of RootedIn.us, or investigate suspected fraud or violations of these Terms.
• Business Transfer: If RootedIn.us is acquired, merged, or substantially all of its assets are transferred, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email or a prominent notice on the Service before your information is transferred and becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

We will never share your family tree data with genealogical research databases, ancestry platforms, or any third-party data aggregators without your explicit written consent.

5. Third-Party Service Providers

To operate the Service, we use the following third-party providers. By using the Service, you acknowledge that your data may be processed by these providers under their respective privacy policies. We have listed each provider and what data they receive:

6. Data Security

We take the security of your personal information and family data extremely seriously and implement multiple layers of protection:

• Encryption in Transit: All data transmitted between your browser and our servers is encrypted using HTTPS/TLS;
• Encryption at Rest: Your data is stored in CockroachDB with encryption at rest. Names, dates, contact details, notes, and files inside a family tree are additionally encrypted with a key that is not stored in the database, so a database copy alone cannot be read;
• Password Hashing: Passwords are hashed using bcrypt with a strong cost factor — we never store or can retrieve your plaintext password;
• Access Controls: Strict role-based access controls limit which personnel and systems can access your data;
• Secure Authentication: Email verification, secure session management, and optional multi-factor verification via SMS;
• Security Monitoring: We monitor for unauthorized access attempts, anomalous activity, and security incidents;
• Secure Backups: Regular encrypted backups to prevent data loss; and
• Dependency Management: Regular updates to software dependencies to address known security vulnerabilities.

7. Data Breach Notification

In the event of a data breach that is reasonably likely to result in a risk to your rights or freedoms, we will notify you without undue delay — and in any event within 72 hours of becoming aware of the breach (where required by applicable law) — by email to the address associated with your account. The notification will describe the nature of the breach, categories of data affected, and steps you can take to protect yourself.

Where required by law, we will also notify the applicable data protection authority.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal information and family tree data for as long as your account is active and for a reasonable period thereafter to provide the Service, comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.

• Account Data: Retained while your account is active. Upon account deletion, your account data is permanently deleted within 30 days, except as noted below.
• Family Tree Data: Retained while your account is active. Upon account deletion or data deletion request, permanently deleted within 30 days.
• Deleted Members: When you delete an individual family member from your tree, the deletion is immediate and permanent from our primary database. We do not maintain recoverable copies of deleted members.
• Email Event Logs: Technical logs of email delivery events may be retained for up to 12 months for security and fraud prevention, then deleted.
• Legal Hold: We may retain certain data longer if required by applicable law, regulation, court order, or to defend legal claims.

9. Your Rights and Choices

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: You can access and review your account information and family tree data at any time through the Service.
• Correction: You can update or correct your account information and family tree data at any time within the Service.
• Deletion — Individual Member: You can permanently delete any individual family member from your tree. Deletion is immediate and irreversible.
• Deletion — All Family Data: You can request deletion of all your family tree data while keeping your account active, via your account settings.
• Deletion — Full Account: You can permanently delete your entire account and all associated data via your account settings. This action is irreversible.
• Data Portability / Export: You can export your family tree data in CSV or GEDCOM format at any time, allowing you to take your data to another service.
• Opt-Out of Non-Essential Communications: Transactional emails (verification, security alerts, invitations) are required for the Service to function and cannot be opted out of while your account is active. You may update your contact preferences in account settings.
• Withdraw Consent: Where we process your data based on consent, you may withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing before the withdrawal.

10. California Privacy Rights (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA):

• Right to Know: You have the right to request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the sources, purposes, and third parties we share it with.
• Right to Delete: You have the right to request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions.
• Right to Correct: You have the right to correct inaccurate personal information we maintain about you.
• Right to Opt Out of Sale or Sharing: We do not sell your personal information and do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising. You have nothing to opt out of in this regard.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA rights.
• Sensitive Personal Information: We collect certain categories of sensitive personal information (birthdates, health-adjacent biographical data). We use this information only to provide and improve the Service and not for profiling or advertising.

To exercise your California rights, please contact us using the information in Section 16. We will respond within 45 days of receiving a verifiable consumer request.

11. European and UK Privacy Rights (GDPR / UK GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA) or the United Kingdom, the following applies to you:

Legal Bases for Processing

We process your personal data under the following legal bases:

• Performance of a Contract: Processing necessary to provide you with the Service (e.g., storing and displaying your family tree data);
• Legitimate Interests: Processing necessary for our legitimate interests such as security monitoring, fraud prevention, and service improvement — provided these do not override your rights;
• Legal Obligation: Processing required to comply with applicable law; and
• Consent: Where you have given specific, informed, and freely-given consent (e.g., optional phone verification, optional AI features).

Your GDPR Rights

You have the right to:

• Access your personal data and receive a copy;
• Rectify inaccurate personal data;
• Erase your personal data ("right to be forgotten") in certain circumstances;
• Restrict processing of your personal data in certain circumstances;
• Data Portability — receive your personal data in a structured, machine-readable format (we provide CSV and GEDCOM export);
• Object to processing based on legitimate interests; and
• Lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority (supervisory authority).

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the information in Section 16. We will respond within 30 days.

12. Cookies and Similar Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to operate, secure, and understand use of the Service.

• Session Cookies: Used to maintain your authentication session so you stay logged in during your visit. These are deleted when you close your browser or log out.
• Security Cookies: Used to implement CSRF protection and other security measures.
• Preference Cookies: Used to remember certain in-app settings.
• Analytics Cookies: Google Analytics may set cookies to measure how the Service is used (pages visited, device and browser type). We do not use these for advertising or to track you across other websites.

We do not use advertising cookies or cookies that track your activity across other websites. You can disable cookies in your browser settings, but doing so may prevent the Service from functioning correctly and may also limit analytics.

13. Children's Privacy (COPPA)

The Service is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child under 13 has provided personal information to us without your consent, please contact us immediately using the information in Section 16. We will promptly delete such information.

Users between the ages of 13 and 17 may use the Service only with the express consent and active supervision of a parent or legal guardian, who agrees to these Terms and this Privacy Policy on the minor's behalf.

14. International Data Transfers

RootedIn.us operates primarily in the United States. If you are accessing the Service from outside the United States, your information will be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States and potentially in other countries where our service providers operate.

If you are located in the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, we ensure that any transfer of your personal data to countries outside those regions is made pursuant to appropriate safeguards, such as Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission, or another valid legal transfer mechanism.

By using the Service, you acknowledge and consent to your data being transferred to and processed in these jurisdictions, which may have data protection laws different from those in your country of residence.

15. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you by email to the address associated with your account and/or by posting a prominent notice within the Service at least 14 days before the changes take effect. We will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page.

Your continued use of the Service after the effective date of the revised Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of the changes. If you do not agree to the changes, you should stop using the Service and delete your account.

For material changes that affect how we process data we previously collected under a prior version of this policy, we will obtain your fresh consent where required by applicable law.

16. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests about this Privacy Policy, or if you wish to exercise any of your data rights described above, please contact us through:

• The support features available within the Service (Account Settings → Support); or
• The contact information provided in your Account Settings page.

We will acknowledge your request within 5 business days and aim to fully resolve it within 30 days (or as otherwise required by applicable law).