Privacy Policy
Last updated: July 18, 2026
Kinship Trees is a private home for your family's story. Privacy is not a feature of the product — it is the point of it. This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have. The short version: your archive belongs to you, only the people you invite can see it, and we never sell your data or use it for advertising.
1. Information we collect
- Account information. Your name, email address, and password when you create an account.
- Your content. The photos, videos, voice recordings, documents, stories, and family-tree details you choose to upload. This may include information about family members, living and deceased, that you add on their behalf.
- Payment information. If you subscribe, payment is handled by a third-party payment processor. We do not store your full card details — we receive only what we need to manage your subscription, such as its status and the last digits of your card.
- Usage information. Basic technical data such as device type, browser, and how the app is used, collected to keep the Service working and improve it.
2. How we use your information
We use your information only to provide and improve the Service:
- to store, display, and back up your archive for you and the people you invite;
- to process photos you upload (for example, compressing them for efficient storage);
- to manage your account, storage allowance, and subscription;
- to send you service messages, such as invitations you trigger, billing notices, and important updates;
- to understand how the Service is used so we can improve it;
- to keep the Service secure and prevent abuse.
We do not sell your personal information, share it with advertisers, or use your content to train AI models.
3. How your data is stored and protected
Your data is stored securely in encrypted Google Cloud buckets, utilizing the same world-class infrastructure that protects Google's global services. Files are never exposed directly; instead, access is granted through secure, time-limited signed URLs that expire automatically after one hour.
No system is perfectly secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security — but protecting your family's archive is our highest engineering priority.
4. Who can see your tree
By default, only you. You choose who to invite, and at what access level (view, contribute, or co-edit). People you invite can see the content shared with them, so invite only people you trust. You can change or revoke access at any time.
5. When we share information
We share information only with the service providers we need to run Kinship Trees — such as Google Cloud for storage and our payment processor for billing — and only to the extent needed to provide the Service. These providers are bound by their own strict security and confidentiality obligations. We may also disclose information if required by law, or to protect the rights and safety of our users and the Service.
6. Your rights and choices
- Access and export. You can export your full tree and all attached files at any time, free of charge, in formats that work outside Kinship Trees.
- Correction. You can edit your account details and content directly in the app.
- Deletion. You can delete individual content or your entire account. Deleted data is removed from our systems, subject to a reasonable period for removal from backups.
- Family members' information. If you appear in someone else's tree and would like your information corrected or removed, contact us and we will help.
Depending on where you live, you may have additional legal rights over your personal data (such as those under the GDPR or the California Consumer Privacy Act). We honor valid requests to exercise those rights — contact us using the details below.
7. Data retention
We keep your information for as long as your account is active. If you reach your storage limit or your subscription lapses, nothing is deleted — uploads simply pause and your archive remains viewable and exportable. If you delete your account, we delete your data within a reasonable period, except where we must retain it to meet legal obligations.
8. Children
Kinship Trees is not directed at children, and children under 13 may not create accounts. Family archives naturally include photos and details of children; those are added and controlled by the adult account holders in each family, who are responsible for having the right to share them.
9. International users
Kinship Trees is operated from the United States, and your information is stored on Google Cloud infrastructure. If you use the Service from outside the US, you understand that your information will be processed in the United States and other locations where our providers operate.
10. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you — for example, by email or a notice in the app — before they take effect. The "Last updated" date at the top shows when this policy was last revised.
11. Contact
Questions about privacy, or a request about your data? Contact us at support@kinshiptrees.com.