In Plain English: We collect only what's needed to run your family tree. We don't sell your data, don't use tracking cookies, and don't share personal information with advertisers. Your family data belongs to you.
1. Information We Collect
1a. Information You Provide
- Email address: Used for tree creation verification, PIN reset, and access request notifications
- Family member data: Names, dates of birth/death, locations, photos, biographies, gothram, nakshatra, and relationships
- Stories: Text content contributed by family members via invite links
- Admin PIN: Hashed with SHA-256 — we never store or see your actual PIN
1b. Information Collected Automatically
- Basic analytics: Page views and feature usage (no personal tracking or fingerprinting)
- Timezone: Detected client-side for panchangam calculations — never transmitted to our servers
2. How We Use Your Information
- To create, display, and manage your family tree
- To send verification emails and access request notifications
- To compute panchangam data based on family member nakshatras
- To enable tree search and discovery (limited public info only)
- To generate family quiz questions from tree data
We do NOT use your data for advertising, profiling, or any purpose beyond operating the family tree service.
3. What Is Publicly Visible
3a. Tree Search Results
When someone searches for a family tree, they can see:
- Tree name, origin, and description
- Member count and gothram(s)
- Root generation first names and truncated bios (max 150 characters)
3b. What Is NOT Visible
Search results and connected tree browsing never expose:
- Phone numbers or email addresses
- Facebook URLs or social media links
- Full member lists or detailed profiles
- Photos (in search results)
4. Data Security
- Storage: Data is stored on Cloudflare D1 (SQLite) and R2 (photos), encrypted at rest
- PINs: Hashed with SHA-256 — never stored in plain text
- Edit tokens: HMAC-SHA256 signed, expire after 24 hours
- Email codes: 6-digit OTPs that expire after 10 minutes
- Transport: All data transmitted over HTTPS/TLS
5. Data Sharing
We do NOT sell, rent, or share your personal data with third parties for marketing or advertising.
Data is shared only with:
- Cloudflare: Our hosting and infrastructure provider
- Resend: Our email provider, for verification and notification emails only
- You: When you explicitly share your tree via link, join code, or WhatsApp
6. Connected Trees & Family Connections
When trees are linked through shared members:
- Connected tree browsing requires PIN authentication on your tree
- Browsing shows member names, dates, locations, and bios
- Phone numbers, emails, and Facebook URLs are never exposed in connected tree browsing
- Connected trees are limited to 1 hop (directly linked trees only)
7. Cookies & Browser Storage
We use minimal browser storage and no tracking cookies:
- sessionStorage: Edit tokens — cleared when you close the tab
- localStorage: Language preference and view codes for visited trees
- No tracking cookies: No Google Analytics, no Facebook Pixel, no advertising trackers
8. Data Retention & Deletion
- Your data is retained as long as your tree exists
- You can delete individual members or stories through the edit interface
- To request complete tree deletion, contact us at [email protected]
- Email verification codes are automatically deleted after expiry
9. Children's Privacy
Vamshavriksha is intended for use by adults managing family trees. While family trees naturally include children's names and birth dates, the service is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without parental involvement.
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top reflects the most recent revision. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance.
11. Contact
For privacy questions, data access requests, or deletion requests, contact us at our contact page or email [email protected].