Privacy Policy

Effective 31 October 2026.

Historient (“we”, “us”) is run by Historient LLC. This page explains what we keep about you, why, and what you can do about it. Questions: [email protected].

What we collect

Your email address. When you log in with a password, join with an invite link, or use “Continue with Google”. If you use Google, Google tells us your verified email address and nothing else is kept from your Google account.
Your account details: your plan, when you joined, when you last logged in, and which invite you used.
Your log and settings: what you have marked as want-to-see or done, stars, tours, saved items, your chosen look, and any photos you add to your log. This is the content you create by using the app.
Your family and heritage, if you add them: the peoples you pick, your DNA mix (the region names and percentages you enter or upload) and the family members you add, with their names, relationships, dates and places. This can include living relatives, so please add only what you are happy for us to keep. It is yours: we use it only to show you your own history, we never sell it, and you can delete it at any time.
A login cookie. One cookie (hsid) keeps you signed in for up to a year on that device. A short-lived cookie is also used during Google sign-in. We use no advertising or tracking cookies and no analytics.
Your IP address, briefly. We note it for up to 15 minutes to stop people guessing passwords. Cloudflare, our host, also keeps normal server logs.
Bug reports (testers only). If you send a report from the in-app bug button, we keep your words, the screenshot you attach and your account email.
On your device. The app keeps a copy of your log and settings in your browser or phone storage (names beginning ht_) so it works quickly and offline. Clearing site data removes it.

Why we use it

To run your account and keep your log between devices.
To keep the service secure and stop abuse.
To send you a welcome email when you join with an invite, and to answer you when you write to us.
To fix bugs.

We do not sell your data and we do not use it for advertising.

Where it is kept and who else sees it

Your account, log and bug reports are stored with Cloudflare (hosting and storage). A nightly backup copy is kept for 30 days. We share data only with the services that make Historient work:

Cloudflare: hosts the site and stores your data.
Google: only if you choose Google sign-in. Google’s own privacy policy applies to that step. The page also loads the Outfit font from Google Fonts, which means Google can see your IP address.
Resend: sends the welcome email from [email protected], so it receives your email address.
Picture and book-cover hosts: Wikimedia / Wikipedia, Open Library and some museum and library archives. Your device fetches pictures straight from them, so they can see your IP address and which picture you asked for. We ask your browser not to tell them which page you were on.

Your data may be processed outside your country (for example in the US) by these providers, under their standard data-protection terms.

How long we keep it

Your account and log stay until you ask us to delete them. Login sessions last up to a year. Backups are deleted after 30 days. Password-guess counters vanish after 15 minutes.

Deleting your account and your rights

Email [email protected] from the address on your account and we will delete your account, log and any bug reports (and from backups as they expire within 30 days). You can also ask us for a copy of what we hold, to correct it, or to limit or object to how we use it.

UK / EU (GDPR): you have the rights above, plus the right to complain to your data-protection authority (in the UK, the ICO). Our legal bases are running the service you asked for (contract) and our legitimate interest in keeping it secure.
California (CCPA/CPRA): you may ask what we collect, and to delete or correct it. We do not sell or share personal information, and we will not treat you worse for asking.

Children

Historient is made to be enjoyed by families, but accounts are for people aged 13 and over (or 16 where the law of your country says so). A parent or guardian should set up and manage an account for a younger child, and can write to [email protected] to see or delete it. We do not knowingly collect information from children without a parent’s involvement.

Changes and contact

If we change this policy we will update the date at the top and, for big changes, tell you in the app or by email. Contact: Historient LLC, [email protected].