Your DNA sample becomes DNA Data used for ethnicity, relative matching and trait results
When you take an AncestryDNA test, Ancestry's partner laboratories extract DNA from your sample and convert it into machine-readable "DNA Data." Ancestry processes DNA Data to give you an ethnicity estimate (ancestral regions and journeys), to tell you your degree of relatedness to other users in its DNA database, and to report some genetic markers associated with biological, physiological or behavioral traits, other characteristics such as hair thickness and eye color, or preferences and wellness. You may choose to share some of this with other Ancestry users, as the sharing section (numbered Section 7) describes.
Supporting quotations
When you take an AncestryDNA test, we extract DNA from your sample at our partner laboratories and convert it into machine-readable DNA data (“DNA Data”).
We process your DNA Data to provide you with an ethnicity estimate (ancestral regions and ancestral journeys).
We also process your DNA Data to provide you information about your degree of relatedness to other users in our DNA database and some genetic markers associated with certain biological, physiological, behavioral traits, other characteristics (such as hair thickness and eye color), or traits associated with preferences and wellness.
you may choose to share some of this information with other Ancestry users.
Qualifications & exceptions
Laboratory processing is done at partner laboratories.
Sharing results with other users is your choice.
Use & Processing · Context
"Genetic Information" means your DNA Data and everything derived from it, and is Personal Information
Your DNA Data and any information derived from it, such as ethnicity estimates, traits, genetic relative matches, inherited-DNA information and related insights, are Personal Information and are called "Genetic Information" throughout the statement.
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Your DNA Data and any information derived from it, such as ethnicity estimates (ancestral regions and ancestral journeys), traits, genetic relative matches, inherited-DNA information, and related insights are Personal Information referred to as “Genetic Information”.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Personal information is used to provide, personalize, improve and expand Services, authenticate you and take payment
Ancestry uses your Personal Information to provide, personalize, improve, update and expand its Services. The listed uses begin with authenticating your access and improving information security, and processing your payments; the list continues with product development, content classification, research, business monitoring, fraud prevention and enforcement of the Terms and Conditions.
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We use your Personal Information to provide, personalize, improve, update, and expand our Services. This includes:
Authenticating your access to the Services and improving Ancestry information security;
Processing your payments;
Use & Processing · Company practice
Personal information is also used for product development, research, business planning, fraud prevention and enforcement
Beyond providing the Services, Ancestry uses your Personal Information to build new and improve existing Services (including Member Services), issue surveys and support product development and research, conduct scientific, statistical and historical research, monitor business performance and inform strategy and management decisions, detect and protect against error, fraud and criminal or malicious activity, and enforce its Terms and Conditions.
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Building new and improving existing Services, including the service we provide through Member Services;
Issuing surveys and questionnaires for use in the Services, as well as facilitating product development and research initiatives;
Conducting scientific, statistical, and historical research;
Monitoring business performance, supporting strategic planning and informing management decisions;
Detecting and protecting against error, fraud, or other criminal or malicious activity; and
Enforcing our
Not stated here
The Terms and Conditions are not supplied.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Your uploaded content is classified, image-modeled, indexed and combined with Ancestry databases
Ancestry classifies, creates image models of and indexes Your Content, which may include Personal Information, to organize your media, keep the platform safe, and identify your ancestors, places of interest and other memories. It also combines Your Content with data in Ancestry's databases to provide insights that help users build their family trees.
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Classifying, creating image models of, and indexing Your Content (which may include Personal Information) to organize your media, keep our platform safe, and identify your ancestors, places of interest, and other memories;
Combining Your Content with data in Ancestry’s databases to provide insights to help users build their family trees;
Qualifications & exceptions
Your Content may include Personal Information.
Not stated here
Whether insights derived from your content are shown to other users building their trees, or only to you, is not specified.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Face grouping in your photo gallery needs your consent; the face representations are not kept
With your consent, Ancestry may create an abstract numerical representation of images to group similar faces in your photo gallery. Ancestry says it does not retain or store these representations, and notes they may count as biometric information in certain jurisdictions.
Supporting quotations
With your consent, to help you organize your photos, we may create an abstract numerical representation of images to group similar faces within your gallery.
Ancestry does not retain or store these representations, which may constitute biometric information in certain jurisdictions.
Qualifications & exceptions
Only with your consent.
Representations are not retained or stored.
Not stated here
Which jurisdictions treat these representations as biometric information is not specified.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Ancestry contacts you about support, hints, DNA matches, service changes, testimonials and operational issues
Ancestry uses your Personal Information to communicate with you about the Services: responding to Member Services inquiries; alerting you to "hints" such as records or potential ancestors, potential genetic relatives found by DNA matching, and updates to your DNA results; telling you about changes or new Services; asking you to take part in media productions, advertisements, consumer insights research or testimonials; and providing information or requesting action on technical, security and operational issues.
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We use your Personal Information to communicate with you about the Services, such as when we:
Respond to your inquiries to Member Services;
Alert you to “hints” in Ancestry’s databases (such as records or potential ancestors in your family tree), potential genetic relatives identified by DNA matching, and updates to your DNA test results (including your ancestral regions and ancestral journeys);
Inform you of changes to Services or new Services;
Ask you to participate in Ancestry media productions, advertisements, consumer insights research, or testimonials; and
Provide you with information or request action in response to technical, security, and other operational issues.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Genetic Information powers ethnicity estimates, DNA matches, trait and wellness insights, and family-tree help
Ancestry uses your Genetic Information to deliver your ethnicity estimate and DNA matches (close or extended family or others you may be related to) from its database, and other features that help you and other users learn about yourselves, each other, potential family members and genetic relatives. It also uses it for insights into traits and wellness, and to help you find common ancestors, build your family tree and connect with family.
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Ancestry uses your Genetic Information for the following purposes:
Delivering your ethnicity estimate (ancestral regions and ancestral journeys), DNA matches (e.g., close or extended family or others to whom you may be related) from our database, and providing other features to help you and other users learn more about yourself, each other, potential family members, and your genetic relatives and family groups;
Providing you with other insights into what your DNA Data may reveal about traits and wellness;
Providing relevant results to assist you in discovering common ancestors and other details about your family history, as well as helping you build your family tree or connect with friends and family;
Qualifications & exceptions
DNA match features help both you and other users learn about genetic relatives.
Use & Processing · Company practice
Genetic Information is also used for research and new products; only the health-study use requires research consent
Ancestry uses Genetic Information to study aggregated data on population and ethnicity-related health, wellness, aging or physical conditions only if you agreed to its Informed Consent to Research. Separately, the same list says Genetic Information is used for scientific, statistical and historical research and to improve DNA products, the customer experience across the Services, laboratory processes and technology, and to build new products and services; those uses are listed without a research-consent condition. Sharing de-identified Genetic Information with outside research partners does require that consent (see the sharing section).
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Studying aggregated Genetic Information to better understand population and ethnicity-related health, wellness, aging, or physical conditions if you have agreed to participate through our
Conducting scientific, statistical, and historical research; and
Improving features and functionality in our existing DNA-related products, enhancing the customer experience across the Services, improving the quality of our laboratory processes and technology, and building new products and services.
Qualifications & exceptions
Aggregated health, wellness and aging studies require agreement to the Informed Consent to Research.
Sharing with research partners requires express consent through the Informed Consent to Research.
Not stated here
How "scientific, statistical, and historical research" without research consent differs from studies that require it is not explained.
The Informed Consent to Research is not supplied.
Use & Processing · Company practice
U.S. business purposes include building consumer profiles for research, product development and marketing
The U.S. Statement says Ancestry uses the listed categories to provide, personalize, improve, update and expand the Services; communicate with you; provide measurement, analytics and other business services, including creating consumer profiles for research, product development and marketing; help ensure security and integrity; and market new products and offers from Ancestry or business partners based on your interests.
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16.2 Business Purposes
for the following business purposes:
Providing, personalizing, improving, updating, and expanding Ancestry’s Services;
Communicating to you about the Services;
Providing measurement, analytics, and other business services, including creation of consumer profiles for the purposes of research, product development, and marketing;
Helping to ensure security and integrity of the Services; and
Marketing new products and offers from us or our business partners based on your interests.
Not stated here
What the consumer profiles contain is not described.
Use & Processing · Restriction or exception
U.S. sensitive information is processed only to provide the Services, plus safety and legal needs
Ancestry says it processes sensitive personal information only to provide the Services, including to maintain quality and safety, improve the Services, detect security incidents, resist and prosecute malicious, deceptive, fraudulent or illegal actions against Ancestry, and maintain accounts, provide customer service, fulfill orders, verify information, process payments, provide analytic services and provide storage. It may also process it as needed to help ensure people's physical safety and as required by law. "Improve the Services" and "analytic services" are broad purposes within this limit.
Supporting quotations
16.7 Sensitive Personal Information. We process sensitive personal information collected about you only to provide the Services, including to:
Maintain the quality and safety of the Services;
Improve the Services;
Detect security incidents;
Resist and prosecute malicious, deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal actions directed at Ancestry; and
Maintain or service accounts, provide customer service, process or fulfill orders and transactions, verify customer information, process payments, provide analytic services, and provide storage.
We may also process this sensitive personal information as needed to help ensure people’s physical safety and as required by applicable law.
Qualifications & exceptions
Also processed for physical safety and as required by law.