Legal

Privacy Policy

Effective July 2, 2026 · Last updated July 2, 2026 · v2.0

Genealogy work is sensitive by nature — it involves information about you and about your relatives and ancestors, some of whom may be living. Here is how we collect, use, and protect it.

This Privacy Policy explains how Tyler Mason, a Texas sole proprietor doing business as Genesis Legacy Journeys("GLJ," "we," "us," or "our"), collects, uses, shares, and protects personal information in connection with the website at genesislegacyjourneys.com(the "Site") and our genealogy research, media, and hosted heritage-travel services (collectively, the "Services").

Genealogy and family-history work is sensitive by nature. It involves not only information about you, but also information about your family members, relatives, and ancestors — some of whom may be living. We treat this information with care. Please read this Privacy Policy carefully so you understand what we collect and how we use it.

This Privacy Policy is incorporated into our Website Terms of Service.

1. Scope and Who This Applies To

This Privacy Policy applies to:

  • Visitors to the Site;
  • Clients who engage our Services and provide information about themselves and their families; and
  • To the extent described below, individuals whose information is provided to us by a client or collected by us during research (including relatives and ancestors).

If you provide us with information about another person, you are responsible for ensuring you have the right to do so and for informing that person about how their information may be used, as described in Section 11.

2. Information We Collect

A. Information you provide directly.

  • Identity and contact information: name, email address, postal address, telephone number, and similar details.
  • Account information: username and credentials, if you create an account.
  • Family and genealogical information you submit: names, dates and places of birth, marriage, and death; relationships and family structures; family stories and oral history; photographs, documents, letters, and other family records; and other details about you and your relatives and ancestors.
  • Travel-related information: passport details, date of birth, nationality, emergency-contact information, dietary or accessibility needs, travel preferences, and information needed to arrange travel. (Some of this is collected under the Master Services Agreement and applicable travel forms.)
  • Payment information: billing details. Payment-card data is collected and processed by our third-party payment processor, under that processor's own terms and privacy policy. GLJ does not store full payment-card numbers; we retain only records of transactions (such as amount, date, and a payment reference).
  • Communications: information you provide when you contact us, request a consultation, respond to surveys, or otherwise communicate with us.

B. Information about relatives and ancestors. To perform genealogy research, we collect and generate information about your family members, relatives, and ancestors. Some of these individuals may be living. This information comes from you, from family members you direct us to, and from the research sources described below. See Section 11 for how we handle data about living relatives.

C. Information we obtain from research sources and third parties. In the course of research, we collect information from third-party sources such as public records, vital records, archives, libraries, church and immigration records, census records, historical databases, genealogical databases and repositories, and similar sources. We may also receive information from suppliers and partners who help us deliver the Services.

D. Sensitive information. Depending on the engagement, the information we handle may include categories that are treated as sensitive under certain privacy laws. This can include, for example: precise family-relationship and origin information; religious or ethnic-origin information that emerges from records; passport and government-identifier information for travel; and, where a client chooses to share it, information derived from DNA or genetic-testing results or other health-adjacent information.

We do not perform DNA testing. Where a client shares DNA or genetic-test results (for example, from a consumer testing service), we use that information only as needed to support the research the client has requested, and subject to the limitations in our Genealogy-Findings Disclaimer regarding DNA interpretation.

E. Information collected automatically. When you use the Site, we and our service providers may automatically collect certain technical information, such as IP address, device and browser type, pages viewed, referring pages, and usage data, through cookies and similar technologies. See Section 10 (Cookies and Analytics).

3. How We Use Information (Purposes)

We use personal information to:

  • Provide, perform, and deliver the Services, including conducting genealogy research and producing client deliverables (such as a client website and research film);
  • Plan, book, and host travel and heritage-trip components, including coordinating with travel suppliers;
  • Create, host, and maintain client websites, research films, and trip videos as agreed in the MSA and any media release;
  • Communicate with you, respond to inquiries, and provide customer support;
  • Process payments through our payment processor and maintain transaction records;
  • Operate, maintain, secure, and improve the Site and Services;
  • Comply with legal obligations, enforce our agreements, and protect the rights, property, and safety of GLJ, our clients, and others; and
  • With your consent where required, send marketing communications and use certain client content for marketing (for example, where a client grants a public-use license to a research film), as governed by the applicable media release.

We do not use sensitive family or genealogical information for advertising or marketing purposes except with appropriate consent and as permitted by the applicable media release and applicable law.

4. How We Share Information

We share personal information only as described below:

  • Service providers and processors: companies that perform services for us, such as website hosting, IT and security, payment processing, video and media production, scheduling, communications, and analytics. These providers are authorized to use personal information only as necessary to provide services to us.
  • Travel suppliers: airlines, ground operators, lodging providers, guides, tour operators, and similar vendors, to the extent needed to arrange and deliver travel. These suppliers act as independent contractors and may handle your information under their own privacy practices.
  • Research sources and repositories: where necessary to conduct research, we may submit inquiries or requests to archives, record offices, and databases. We share only what is needed to obtain records.
  • Within a client engagement:research deliverables typically include information about the client's family and are shared with the client (and, at the client's direction, with family members the client designates).
  • Legal and protective disclosures: when we believe disclosure is required by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request, or is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of GLJ, our clients, or others, or to enforce our agreements.
  • Business transfers: in connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, or sale of assets, in which case personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to this Privacy Policy or a successor policy.

We do not sell your personal information.We do not sell personal information for money, and we do not "share" or "sell" personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising as those terms are defined under applicable privacy laws.

5. Data Security

We maintain reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information against unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction, taking into account the sensitive nature of genealogical and family data. These measures may include access controls, encryption in transit where appropriate, and limiting access to personnel and providers who need it. Payment-card data is handled by our payment processor under its own security and compliance program; GLJ does not store full card numbers. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. You are responsible for keeping your account credentials confidential.

6. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as needed to provide the Services and thereafter only as reasonably necessary. Specifically:

  • Client deliverables and hosting: we maintain hosted client deliverables (such as a hosted client website, research film, or trip video) for the hosting term agreed with the client in the MSA.
  • Research files and client records: after a project concludes, GLJ generally retains client research files and related records for a reasonable records-retention period of approximately three (3) years, unless a longer period is required by law, needed to resolve a dispute, or needed to enforce our agreements.
  • Transaction records: we retain records of transactions as needed to meet tax, accounting, and legal obligations.

When information is no longer needed, we will delete, de-identify, or archive it in accordance with applicable law and our retention practices. You may request deletion of your personal information at any time (see Sections 8, 9, and 14); we will honor such requests except where retention is required by law or by our legitimate records-retention, dispute-resolution, or agreement-enforcement obligations, or where the same information also belongs to another person (such as a relative).

7. International Data Transfers

GLJ is based in the United States, and our Services include international travel and may involve clients, relatives, suppliers, and records located outside the United States. As a result, personal information may be transferred to, stored in, and processed in the United States and in other countries, including countries that may have data-protection laws different from those in your country of residence. Where required by applicable law, we will take steps to provide an appropriate level of protection for such transfers. By using the Services, you understand that your information may be transferred and processed as described in this Privacy Policy.

8. International Privacy Laws — GDPR, UK GDPR, and Similar Laws

Because GLJ serves international travelers and researches records that may include individuals located in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or other jurisdictions with comprehensive data-protection laws, personal information we handle may fall within the scope of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the UK GDPR, or similar laws. Where those laws apply, we are committed to processing personal data lawfully, fairly, and transparently.

  • Lawful basis. Where GDPR or UK GDPR applies, we process personal data on a lawful basis, which may include your consent, the performance of a contract with you, compliance with a legal obligation, or our legitimate interests (or those of a client) in conducting genealogy research, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights. Where processing relies on consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time.
  • Data-subject rights.Subject to applicable law and legitimate exceptions, individuals whose personal data we process may have the right to: access and obtain a copy of their personal data; request correction of inaccurate data; request deletion ("erasure") of their data; restrict or object to certain processing; request portability of data they provided; and lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.
  • How to exercise these rights. To make a data-subject request, contact us at info@genesislegacyjourneys.com (see Section 14). We will respond within the timeframes required by applicable law. We may need to verify your identity, and certain requests may be limited where the same information also concerns another person (such as a relative or ancestor), where records were obtained from third-party public sources, or where we are required or permitted by law to retain the information.
  • Transfers. Where personal data protected by GDPR or UK GDPR is transferred to the United States or another country, we will rely on an appropriate transfer mechanism where required by applicable law.

This section supplements, and does not limit, the rights described in Section 9.

9. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on where you live and which laws apply, you may have rights regarding your personal information, which may include the rights to: access or obtain a copy of your personal information; correct inaccurate information; request deletion; object to or restrict certain processing; withdraw consent where processing is based on consent; and not be discriminated against for exercising your rights. The specific rights available to you depend on the applicable law.

  • If you are a resident of the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and/or UK GDPR may provide you with certain rights (see Section 8).
  • If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CCPA/CPRA) may provide you with certain rights.
  • If you are a Texas resident, the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA) may provide you with certain rights.
  • Other U.S. state privacy laws may also apply depending on your state of residence.

To exercise any available right, contact us at info@genesislegacyjourneys.com(see Section 14). We will respond as required by applicable law. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling your request, and certain requests may be subject to legal exceptions — for example, where information about a relative or ancestor is also another person's information, where records were obtained from third-party public sources, or where retention is required by law.

10. Cookies and Analytics

The Site may use cookies and similar technologies to operate the Site, remember preferences, understand usage, and improve performance. You can usually control cookies through your browser settings; disabling some cookies may affect Site functionality.

We use Google Analytics, a web-analytics service provided by Google, to understand how visitors find and use the Site. Google Analytics uses cookies and similar technologies to collect information such as pages viewed, referring pages, approximate location, and device and usage data. We have enabled Google Analytics Advertising Features (including Google Signals), which may associate this activity with signed-in Google users who have consented, may collect demographic and interest information (such as age range, gender, and interest categories), and supports cross-device measurement. We use this information in aggregate to improve the Site and our services, and we do not use it to identify you personally.

You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, and you can control the data and ads Google associates with your account through Google Ad Settings. Information Google collects is handled under Google's Privacy Policy.

11. Information About Living Relatives and Other Living Individuals

Genealogy work frequently surfaces information about living relatives and other living individuals who are not our clients. We handle such information with restraint.

  • Limited collection and use. We limit our collection, use, and publication of information about living individuals to what is reasonably necessary for the research the client has requested. We will not publish sensitive information about a living person without a lawful basis or the consent of that person or an appropriate authorized party.
  • Client representations. If you provide us with information about another living person — or if you ask us to research, document, or include a living person in your family materials — you represent and warrant that you have the right to request that research and to provide that information to us, that you have obtained any consent required under applicable law for us to use it for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, and that you will handle information about living relatives responsibly, including in any deliverables shared with you (such as a client website or research film).
  • Informing living relatives. You agree to inform living relatives, where appropriate, that their information may be collected, documented, and included in research deliverables.
  • Requests from living individuals. Where a living individual asks us to access, correct, or delete information about them, we will handle the request in accordance with applicable law, recognizing that the same information may also belong to the client or other family members and may be subject to the limitations in Sections 8 and 9.

12. Children's Data

The Site and Services are intended for adults and are not directed to children under 13 (or the higher minimum age in your jurisdiction). Consistent with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), we do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 13 through the Site. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us personal information through the Site, please contact us at info@genesislegacyjourneys.com and we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

Genealogy research may necessarily involve information about minors who are members of a client's family (for example, dates of birth of living children within a family tree). Such information is provided by the client, not collected from the child, and we handle information about minors with restraint — limiting its collection, use, and publication to what is reasonably necessary for the research, and handling it as part of the research engagement and subject to Section 11.

13. Social Media Publishing Integrations (TikTok)

We operate a first-party integration that lets an authorized Genesis Legacy Journeys account owner connect our own social media accounts — including our TikTok account — so that marketing and educational videos that Genesis Legacy Journeysproduces can be published to those accounts. This integration uses TikTok's Login Kit and Content Posting API.

  • What we access.When our account owner connects a TikTok account, we use TikTok's user.info.basicscope to read a limited profile (the account's open ID, display name, and avatar) solely to confirm which account is connected. We do not access followers, direct messages, private analytics, or any information about other TikTok users.
  • What we publish. We use the video.upload and video.publish scopes only to upload and post videos that Genesis Legacy Journeysitself has created, to our own connected TikTok account, and only when our account owner initiates the post. We never post to a third party's account.
  • Tokens and storage. The OAuth access and refresh tokens returned by TikTok are stored securely and used only to publish content to the connected account on our behalf. We do not sell, rent, or share these tokens or any TikTok data with third parties, and we do not use TikTok data for advertising or profiling.
  • Minimum necessary.We request only the scopes needed to operate this publishing workflow, and the connected account owner can revoke our access at any time from TikTok's account settings, which immediately ends our ability to post.

Our use of information received from TikTok APIs adheres to the TikTok Developer Terms of Service and TikTok's Community Guidelines, including any limitations on the use, storage, and disclosure of that information.

14. Contact for Privacy Requests

For privacy questions or to exercise a privacy right (including data-subject requests under GDPR or UK GDPR), contact:

Genesis Legacy Journeys — Privacy
Tyler Mason, a Texas sole proprietor doing business as Genesis Legacy Journeys
Email: info@genesislegacyjourneys.com
Website: genesislegacyjourneys.com
511 Lets Roll Drive, Fischer, Texas 78623

15. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last Updated" date above and post the updated policy on the Site. Material changes will be communicated as required by applicable law. Your continued use of the Site or Services after changes become effective constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.