Privacy Policy
Last updated: February 2026
We Never Sell Your Data
Your family history is yours. We don't sell it, share it with advertisers, or use it for anything other than providing you with our service. Here's the plain-language version of what that means:
- check_circleYour family tree data is never sold to third parties
- check_circleYou can export all your data anytime in standard GEDCOM format
- check_circleYou can delete your account and all data with one request
- check_circleLiving person information is protected by default
For the full legal details, keep reading. For a friendlier overview, see our Data Security page.
Introduction
Gather the Family ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our genealogy platform.
Information We Collect
Information You Provide
- Account information (name, email address, password)
- Family tree data (names, dates, places, relationships)
- Photos and documents you upload
- Notes and stories about family members
Information Collected Automatically
- Device and browser information
- IP address and general location
- Usage data and analytics
On your first visit we record the page that referred you and any campaign tags in the link you followed, stored under a random identifier kept in your browser, and we link that record to an account only if you go on to register.
How We Use Your Information
- To provide and maintain our service
- To personalize your experience
- To communicate with you about your account
- To improve our platform
- To ensure security and prevent fraud
Data Storage and Security
Your family tree data is stored securely using industry-standard encryption. We use Amazon Web Services (AWS) for data storage, which provides enterprise-grade security and reliability.
We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.
Your Data Rights
You have the right to:
- Access your personal data
- Export your family tree data (GEDCOM format)
- Correct inaccurate information
- Delete your account and associated data
- Withdraw consent for data processing
Data Sharing
We do not sell your personal information. We may share data only in the following circumstances:
- With your explicit consent
- With family members you invite to collaborate
- To comply with legal obligations
- To protect our rights and prevent fraud
Living Person Privacy
We take special care to protect information about living individuals. By default, detailed information about living people in your tree is only visible to you and collaborators you explicitly invite.
Browser Extension
Our Research Companion browser extension collects additional information to help you capture genealogical data from websites:
What the Extension Collects
- Page content (URL, title, and text) when you click the capture button
- Images from the page that may contain genealogical information
- Your current research target selection
- Your Gather the Family authentication token, stored locally in your browser to keep you signed in
How Extension Data is Used
- Captured content is processed by AI to extract genealogical facts (names, dates, places, relationships)
- We store only the extracted genealogical data and any images you choose to keep—the original page HTML is not retained
- Extracted data is associated with your selected research target for review
- We do not capture or process content from pages you don't explicitly capture
Extension Permissions
- activeTab: Read content only from the current tab when you click capture
- storage: Store your Gather the Family login session and preferences locally
- sidePanel: Display the research companion interface
Cookies
We use essential cookies to maintain your session and preferences. We do not use third-party advertising cookies.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date.
Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us.