Privacy Policy

This policy applies to personal information handled through:

• johncoxdescendantsft.com, including its contact form and other contribution routes;
• tree.johncoxdescendantsft.com, the separate TNG family-tree database and its account or access functions;
• related email, online meeting and administrative correspondence; and
• family-history research records maintained for this project.

External services reached by following a link—such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Google Meet or an independent archive—operate under their own privacy terms. This policy does not control those services.

Family-history information may come from:

• you, when you contact the project or request an account;
• relatives, contributors and authorised family researchers;
• family papers, photographs, oral histories and inherited records;
• civil, census, church, immigration, military, newspaper and archival records;
• existing family-tree data or GEDCOM files lawfully maintained for the project; and
• technical logs created when the websites or database are used.

A public source is not treated as permission to publish every detail about a living person. Information is assessed in context, and the source, age, sensitivity, likely expectations and possible effect on the individual are considered.

UK data-protection law requires a lawful basis whenever personal information about a living person is used. The bases most relevant to this project are explained below.

A legitimate-interests assessment should consider the purpose, necessity and likely effect on the living person. Information will not be repurposed in a way that is incompatible with the reason it was collected without first considering the law and providing further information where required.

The following safeguards guide the handling of living-person information:

• public family-tree views should identify a living person only as “Living” or otherwise conceal their private details by default;
• only information that is relevant and proportionate to the family-history purpose should be retained;
• private contact details, precise current addresses, account credentials and identity documents are not published;
• a living person’s fuller biography, image or personal story is not made public merely because a relative supplied it;
• clear permission is normally sought before publicly displaying identifiable material about a living person; and
• reasonable correction, privacy and removal requests are reviewed promptly, with particular care where safety or family sensitivity is involved.

Restricted information may be visible only to the project administrator or an authorised researcher with an appropriate need to use it. Access to one part of the family database does not automatically provide unrestricted access to every record.

This website is a general family-history resource and is not designed as an online service directed specifically at children. Children should not submit private family details, create a tree account or upload files without the involvement of a parent or guardian.

• Profiles of living children and young people are kept private and are not publicly displayed.
• The best interests and safety of a child take priority over the research value of publishing a detail.
• If information about a child is submitted, it may be restricted, redacted or removed unless there is a clear, lawful and proportionate reason to keep it.
• A parent, guardian or sufficiently mature young person may contact the project to raise a concern or request a correction.

Family records can sometimes reveal racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs, health, sexual orientation, genetic information or other specially protected details about a living person. These details require a higher level of care.

The project does not ask visitors to provide DNA test results, medical records or similarly sensitive material. If special-category information about a living person is genuinely relevant, it will only be used where both an ordinary lawful basis and an additional legal condition apply—normally explicit consent for public use, or another condition carefully assessed under data-protection law.

When material is submitted through the contact form, email or another agreed route:

• the contributor should be entitled to share it and should identify any restrictions or family sensitivities;
• the people, dates, places, source and family connection should be explained where known;
• material may be reviewed, compared with other sources, corrected, cropped, transcribed or catalogued for the family-history purpose;
• uncertain or disputed information may be marked as unconfirmed, kept private or declined;
• submission does not transfer copyright ownership and does not by itself grant permission for public display; and
• before identifiable material about a living person is published, further confirmation or permission may be requested.

If material is accepted into the permanent family archive, the contributor’s name and any agreed credit may be retained with it so its provenance is not lost. Anonymous credit can be discussed where appropriate.

Personal information may be disclosed only where reasonably necessary to:

• publish approved family-history content on the main website or TNG tree;
• work with a trusted, authorised family researcher or administrator who needs the information for this project;
• use hosting, email delivery, form processing, security, backup, database or technical-support providers acting on the project’s behalf;
• share relevant branch material with a relative responsibly overseeing that family line, where lawful and appropriate;
• comply with a lawful request, court order or legal obligation; or
• protect rights, safety, website security or the integrity of the family record.

Service providers are expected to use information only for the agreed service and to apply appropriate confidentiality and security. The project does not sell, rent or trade personal information.

The main website and TNG database may use cookies or similar storage technologies that are necessary for core functions such as security, form operation, account sign-in, session management and remembering privacy or display preferences.

Technical logs may record IP addresses, access times, requested pages, browser details, failed logins and security events. These records help prevent abuse, investigate errors and keep the websites available and secure.

If optional analytics, embedded media or another non-essential technology is introduced, the website’s cookie information and controls will be updated. Consent or a simple way to object will be provided where required by the applicable rules. Disabling essential technologies may prevent account, form or security features from working correctly.

The websites are intended to connect relatives worldwide. Some service providers—for example email, security, online meeting or linked communication services—may process information in countries outside the United Kingdom.

Where UK personal information is transferred internationally by or on behalf of this project, an appropriate lawful transfer mechanism or recognised protection should be used where required. This may include a UK adequacy decision, approved contractual safeguards or another lawful exception, together with proportionate security measures.

A visitor who chooses to contact the project through an external service such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram or Google Meet should also review that provider’s own information about international processing.

Retention depends on why the information is held:

At the end of the relevant period, information is deleted, anonymised, minimised or placed under appropriate archival restriction. A contributor’s contact details need not remain publicly attached to material in order to preserve its historical source.

Reasonable technical and organisational safeguards are used, including where appropriate:

• encrypted website connections (HTTPS);
• restricted administrator and database access;
• individual accounts and role-based permissions;
• security monitoring, updates and malware protection;
• backups and recovery arrangements; and
• review of material before public publication.

No internet transmission or storage system can be guaranteed completely secure. Please use the contact form or email for ordinary enquiries only and arrange a safer method before sending anything unusually sensitive.

If the project holds personal information about you as a living individual, you may have the right to:

• be informed about how your information is used;
• request access to your personal information and a copy of it;
• request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information;
• request erasure in circumstances where the right applies;
• request restriction while an issue about accuracy or use is considered;
• object to processing based on legitimate interests;
• withdraw consent at any time where consent is the basis used, without affecting earlier lawful processing;
• request portability where the right applies to qualifying electronic information; and
• complain about the handling of your personal information.

These rights are not absolute and do not all apply in every situation. For example, the rights of other people, legal obligations, freedom of expression, or a lawful research or archival restriction may need to be considered. The response will explain any limitation relied upon.

A request can be made free of charge by email or through the Contact page. Enough information should be provided to locate the relevant record. Reasonable identity checks may be requested before personal information is disclosed or changed. A response is normally provided within one month, subject to any lawful extension.

Please first contact Patrice L. Williams at hello@johncoxdescendantsft.com or use the Contact page and choose Privacy, personal data or living-person concern. Explain what happened, which person or family branch is concerned and the outcome you are seeking.

A data-protection complaint will be acknowledged within 30 days, investigated without undue delay, and followed by an explanation of the outcome. Updates will be provided if the investigation takes longer.

You also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). Further information is available at ico.org.uk. The ICO will usually expect you to have raised the issue with the project first.

This policy may be updated when the website, TNG database, service providers, research practices or applicable law change. The effective date at the top of the page will be revised when a material update is published. Where a change would significantly affect how existing personal information is used, additional notice or permission will be provided where required.

Questions about this policy, a living person’s tree entry, a photograph, a contribution, account access or any privacy concern can be sent to:

Patrice L. Williams
Founder, Genealogist & Historian
John Cox Jr. Descendants Family Tree
hello@johncoxdescendantsft.com