When you upload family trees, photos, stories, or other content to Ancestry, you give Ancestry permission to use that content forever, in any format and for any purpose, even after you close your account.
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
This license is perpetual and irrevocable, meaning Ancestry retains rights to your uploaded content even if you delete your account or request removal of the content, which may conflict with users' expectations about data control.
Interpretive note: The interaction between this perpetual license and GDPR or CPRA erasure rights is not resolved in the document, and the practical enforceability of the irrevocability clause against users exercising statutory deletion rights may vary by jurisdiction.
The updated Terms footer no longer includes a direct link to 'Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information,' a disclosure mechanism required under California's CCPA. California residents retain the legal right to direct Ancestry not to sell or share their personal information, but the footer no longer provides a prominently placed navigation point to exercise that right. Ancestry's privacy notice continues to reference CCPA compliance and provides other disclosure language, but the specific footer link has been removed.
View change record →The updated terms reduce the out-of-pocket costs consumers must pay to arbitrate disputes against Ancestry. Previously, consumers and Ancestry shared filing fees, arbitrator fees, and hearing expenses equally unless an arbitrator found the arbitration frivolous; now, if an arbitrator determines the arbitration is non-frivolous, Ancestry covers all JAMS-invoiced fees. Separately, the revised terms establish that Ancestry will pay all mediation fees, whereas both parties previously shared this cost. The removal of language describing alternative AAA procedures narrows the stated dispute resolution pathway.
View change record →California residents who rely on the Terms and Conditions footer to find the option to request that Ancestry not sell or share their personal information will no longer see that link in that location. While the underlying CCPA right to opt out likely remains available, the removal of this navigation path from the terms page makes the right less discoverable. California residents should verify that they can still access opt-out functionality through Ancestry's website or contact the company directly if they cannot locate the feature.
View change record →License scope expanded from 'transferable' to explicitly 'perpetual, irrevocable' and broadened to cover 'any form, in all media now known or hereafter created, and for any purpose,' removing the explicit survival clause and strengthening perpetual rights.
View full change record →Any genealogical records, family photos, personal stories, or other materials you upload to Ancestry are subject to a license that does not expire when you cancel your account, and Ancestry may sublicense this content to third parties including affiliated companies and research partners.
How other platforms handle this
we may closely review accounts that offer the following services, products, or content: Online trading, day trading tips, and stock market related content
Paid Subscribers can select whether Content is public or private.
If Your Content is prohibited under the laws of any jurisdiction where our Services are available, we may remove it even if it is not illegal in your location.
"By submitting User Provided Content through the Services, you grant Ancestry a royalty-free, worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive, sublicensable license to use, reproduce, display, perform, adapt, modify, distribute, have distributed, and promote such content in any form, in all media now known or hereafter created, and for any purpose.Excerpt from Ancestry's Terms and Conditions
REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision engages GDPR Articles 17 and 7 (right to erasure and withdrawal of consent) for EU and UK users, as the perpetual and irrevocable nature of the license may conflict with a …
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This license is perpetual and irrevocable, meaning Ancestry retains rights to your uploaded content even if you delete your account or request removal of the content, which may conflict with users' expectations about data control.
Any genealogical records, family photos, personal stories, or other materials you upload to Ancestry are subject to a license that does not expire when you cancel your account, and Ancestry may sublicense this content to third parties including affiliated companies and research partners.
ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 263 platforms. See the full comparison.
No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Ancestry.