Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 2026

1. Information We Collect

1a. Information You Provide

• Email address — used for tree admin verification and contact
• Family member data — names, dates, locations, relationships, and other details you enter about family members
• Stories — family stories and memories you choose to add
• Admin PIN — hashed with SHA-256 before storage; we never store your PIN in plain text

1b. Information Collected Automatically

• Basic analytics — page views and general usage patterns to improve the service
• Timezone — detected from your browser to display accurate panchangam (Hindu calendar) information

2. How We Use Your Information

• To create, display, and manage your family tree
• To authenticate tree administrators via PIN and email
• To send verification codes when requested
• To display panchangam information based on your timezone
• To enable connected tree browsing between linked families
• To improve the service based on general usage patterns

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, the following information may appear in search results:

• Tree name
• Origin (location)
• Member count
• Gothram
• Root generation first names

3b. What Is NOT Visible

The following information is never shown in public search results:

• Phone numbers
• Email addresses
• Facebook URLs
• Full member lists
• Photos

4. Data Security

We take the security of your family data seriously. Here are the measures we use:

• Storage — data is stored on Cloudflare D1 (database) and R2 (files), both encrypted at rest
• PINs — hashed using SHA-256 before storage
• Edit tokens — generated using HMAC-SHA256 and expire after 24 hours
• Email verification codes — 6-digit codes that expire after 10 minutes
• Transport — all data transmitted over HTTPS/TLS

5. Data Sharing

Your data is NOT sold, rented, or shared for marketing purposes. We only share data with:

• Cloudflare — our hosting and infrastructure provider
• Resend — our email delivery provider (for verification codes and notifications)
• You — when you explicitly choose to share your tree or family information

6. Connected Trees & Family Connections

When two family trees are connected through a family relationship:

• PIN authentication is required to access connected tree browsing
• Browsing a connected tree shows names, dates, locations, and bios only
• Phone numbers, emails, and Facebook URLs are NEVER exposed to connected tree browsers
• Connected tree browsing is limited to 1 hop — you can only see directly connected trees, not trees connected to those trees

7. Cookies & Browser Storage

• sessionStorage — used to store edit tokens for your current browser session
• localStorage — used to save your language preference and view codes
• No tracking cookies — we do not use Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, or any third-party tracking cookies

8. Data Retention & Deletion

• Your data is retained as long as your tree exists on the platform
• You can delete individual members and stories at any time through the tree editor
• For complete tree deletion, contact us at support@vamshavriksha.com
• Email verification codes are automatically deleted after expiration

9. Children's Privacy

Vamshavriksha is intended for use by adults. Our service is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal reasons. Continued use of Vamshavriksha after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or your data, you can reach us through our Contact page or email us at support@vamshavriksha.com.