Privacy Policy & Affiliate Disclosure

1. Who We Are

OpenGenealogy (opengenealogy.net) is an independent, open-access historical research directory and family history platform. Our mission is to make parish register dates, genealogical repositories, and public historical records accessible to researchers worldwide.

2. Information We Collect and Process

We believe in privacy-by-design and minimize the collection of personal information:

• Server Log & Telemetry Data: When you access our website, our web servers collect standard, non-identifying request data such as your IP address (anonymized), browser user-agent, requested URL, timestamp, and referring URL. We use this strictly to maintain platform stability and detect malicious bot traffic.
• Family Tree & Lineage Files: Users who utilize our Family Tree Viewer and GEDCOM upload tools upload lineage data (GEDCOM files). This data is processed securely to generate your interactive visual pedigree tree. We never sell, lease, or distribute your private family tree records to data brokers or third-party advertisers.
• Authentication Credentials: Registered administrative users have account credentials securely hashed using modern cryptographic algorithms (PBKDF2/SHA-256).

3. Affiliate Partner Programs & Advertising Disclosure

Reader Disclosure & FTC Compliance: OpenGenealogy is independent and reader-supported. To provide our 674+ parish directories, cross-archive search tools, and historical indexes 100% free of charge, we participate in affiliate and partner marketing programs with commercial genealogical repositories and newspaper archives.

Please note:

• No personal data or account information stored on OpenGenealogy is ever shared with or transmitted to our affiliate partners.
• Outbound links are marked with standard search query parameters to help you discover records matching your ancestor's surname, year, or parish.
• External partner websites have their own independent privacy policies, terms of service, and cookie management procedures. We encourage you to review their respective privacy notices upon visiting.

4. Cookies and Local Browser Storage

OpenGenealogy uses minimal browser storage strictly necessary for platform functionality:

• oa_theme: Stored in your browser's LocalStorage to remember your preferred visual appearance (light mode or dark mode).
• oa_token: Stored during active authenticated sessions to verify administrative access.

You can disable cookies and clear LocalStorage at any time through your web browser's security and privacy settings without losing access to our public search records.

5. Data Protection Rights (GDPR & UK DPA)

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the UK Data Protection Act 2018, and relevant international privacy statutes, you are entitled to specific rights concerning your personal data:

• Right of Access: You may request confirmation of any personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten"): You may request the immediate deletion of your uploaded family tree records, account profile, or submitted transcripts.
• Right to Rectification: You may request updates or corrections to any inaccurate transcription entries.

6. Contact and Data Inquiries

If you have questions regarding this Privacy Policy, our affiliate partnerships, or wish to exercise your data protection rights, please contact our custodial team:

OpenGenealogy Archival Team
Email: admin@opengenealogy.net
Website: https://opengenealogy.net