Privacy Policy

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Introduction

Welcome to FamilySearch International's Privacy Policy. FamilySearch International ("FamilySearch," "we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website familysearch.org, use our mobile applications, or otherwise interact with our services (collectively, the "Services").

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. By accessing or using our Services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by all the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our Services.

Important Notice

This Privacy Policy applies only to information collected through our Services and not to information collected offline or through any other means, including on any other website operated by FamilySearch or any third party.

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Information We Collect

We collect several types of information from and about users of our Services, including:

Personal Information

Information that identifies you as an individual or relates to an identifiable individual, including:

Contact Information: Name, email address, postal address, telephone number
Account Information: Username, password, account preferences
Genealogical Information: Information about you and your family members, including names, dates and places of birth, marriage, and death
Payment Information: Credit card numbers, billing address (for donations or premium services)

Non-Personal Information

Information that does not identify you as an individual, including:

Usage Data: Information about your interaction with our Services, such as pages visited, features used, and time spent
Device Information: IP address, browser type, operating system, device identifiers
Location Data: General geographic location derived from your IP address

Information You Provide to Us

We collect information you provide directly to us when you:

Create an account or update your profile
Contribute to the Family Tree or add memories
Use our search features or access historical records
Communicate with us via email, chat, or other channels
Participate in surveys, contests, or promotions
Make a donation or purchase premium services

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How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for various business purposes, including:

Purpose	Examples
Service Provision	Create and manage your account, provide genealogical services, process donations
Research Enhancement	Improve search algorithms, connect family relationships, suggest research paths
Communication	Send service-related notices, respond to inquiries, provide customer support
Personalization	Customize content, remember preferences, provide relevant record suggestions
Security	Protect against fraud, monitor for security breaches, verify user identity
Improvement	Analyze usage patterns, develop new features, enhance user experience
Legal Compliance	Comply with legal obligations, enforce terms of service, protect rights

Data Processing Legal Bases

We process your personal information based on one or more of the following legal grounds: (1) your consent, (2) performance of a contract with you, (3) compliance with legal obligations, (4) protection of vital interests, (5) performance of a task carried out in the public interest, or (6) legitimate interests pursued by us or a third party.

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Information Sharing & Disclosure

We may share your information in the following circumstances:

With Your Consent

We may share your information with third parties when you have given us your explicit consent to do so.

Service Providers

We may share your information with third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf, such as:

Hosting and infrastructure providers
Payment processors
Customer support services
Analytics and marketing providers

Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g., court orders, subpoenas).

Genealogical Collaboration

Information you contribute to the Family Tree may be shared with other users to facilitate genealogical research and collaboration. However, information about living individuals is protected and only visible to you and those you explicitly grant access.

Protection of Living Individuals

Information about living individuals in the Family Tree is protected by privacy controls. Only you can see information about your living relatives unless you explicitly grant access to others. Deceased individuals' information is generally considered public and accessible to all users.

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Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures designed to protect the security of your personal information. However, please note that no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure.

Our Security Measures Include:

Encryption: We use encryption technologies for data in transit and at rest
Access Controls: Strict access controls and authentication mechanisms
Regular Audits: Security audits and vulnerability assessments
Employee Training: Regular security awareness training for staff
Incident Response: Established procedures for security incident response

We regularly review and update our security practices to address new threats and vulnerabilities. In the event of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will notify you and relevant authorities as required by applicable law.

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Your Rights & Choices

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information:

Access & Correction

You can access and update your personal information through your account settings. For information you cannot update yourself, you may request access or correction by contacting us.

Data Portability

You may request a copy of your personal information in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.

Deletion

You may request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions such as our need to comply with legal obligations or resolve disputes.

Opt-Out Rights

You can opt out of:

Marketing communications by following unsubscribe instructions
Certain data processing activities where we rely on consent
Cookies and similar tracking technologies through your browser settings

Exercising Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided in the "Contact Us" section below. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request. We will respond to your request within the timeframes required by applicable law.

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