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This analysis describes what Ancestry's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
The updated Privacy Statement no longer displays a dedicated 'Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information' link in the footer, which was previously accessible to California residents under CCPA requirements. This link allowed users to exercise data-sharing opt-out rights. The footer now lists 'Consumer Health Privacy' as a separate item but does not explicitly direct users to their CCPA controls. California residents may need to locate their opt-out rights through alternative navigation paths on the Ancestry site.
View change record →The updated privacy policy removes the 'Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information' link from the footer navigation. This link previously provided direct access to Ancestry's data-sharing opt-out mechanism, which is a required disclosure under California's CCPA. While the removal does not eliminate the opt-out right itself, it may make the opt-out control less easily discoverable from the privacy policy page. Affected users may need to locate the opt-out mechanism through alternate navigation or search methods.
View change record →The updated Privacy Statement clarifies what uses of Ancestry services are permitted and prohibited, establishes that photo face-grouping in your gallery requires your express consent, and introduces SMS messaging as a communication channel for future opt-in communications. The statement now covers Ancestry, AncestryDNA, and Related Brands under a unified framework while noting that other services operated by the company use separate privacy statements. The removal of 'uploaded DNA data' from the account creation section reflects a narrowing of that specific provision's scope, though genetic information processing remains described elsewhere in the policy. You can review the full updated statement to understand how your personal information will be processed and manage your communication preferences when SMS opt-ins become available.
View change record →How other platforms handle this
If you wish to access, review, or make any changes to Personal Data you have provided to us through the Services, please submit a request through our Online Form, or email us at help@skillshare.com...
If you want to see what information we have collected about you, you can request a copy of your data in the Data & Privacy section of your User Settings. You should receive your data packet within 30 days.
Your request to Us must: Provide sufficient information that allows Us to reasonably verify You are the person about whom We collected personal information or an authorized representative Describe Your request with sufficient detail...
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"To delete your Personal Information, you must delete your account and, once an account deletion request is completed, this process is irreversible. Your information (including family trees, records, photos, and DNA Data) will be permanently deleted.Excerpt from Ancestry's Privacy Statement
Ad personalization controls removed. Contact scanning added. Advertiser data partnerships quietly dropped. A timeline of every change.
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The clause states: “To delete your Personal Information, you must delete your account and, once an account deletion request is completed, this process is irreversible. Your information (including family trees, records, photos, and DNA Data) will be permanently deleted.”
ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 295 platforms. See the full comparison.
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