Privacy policy

The main points

• Read public articles without signing in. Google sign-in is used for your private research workspace.
• Saved research is not automatically published or made available to other visitors.
• Research clues go to OpenAI only when you confirm processing and start a search. Relevant clues may become public-web search terms.
• Optional analytics run with your consent on public pages. There are currently no ads.
• Export or delete saved investigations, change your Cookie choice, or contact the operator about your information.

1. Who is responsible

Before Us at beforeus.tech is operated by Luojia Zhang in Australia. This policy covers this website and the research records it stores. For privacy enquiries, write to lucaszlj821@outlook.com.

2. What is processed, and why

Reading. Cloudflare delivers and protects the website. Network requests can include an IP address, browser and device information, the requested URL and technical logs used for delivery, troubleshooting and security. Optional visitor analytics are explained below.

Signing in. Google provides a verified email address, account identifier and display name. These maintain your session, associate records with your account and help prevent abuse. Before Us does not receive your Google password or request access to your Gmail messages or Drive files.

Researching. You may provide names, relationships, dates, historical places, occupations, recollections, document transcriptions and questions. Saved records can include these clues, results, source links, notes and timestamps. They are used for the research you request and to let you return to it.

Fair use and security. The application keeps request identifiers, account identifiers, start times and research status to apply usage limits and investigate failures. These usage records are separate from the content of your family investigation.

Email. Your email address, message and attachments are used to reply, deal with your enquiry and keep an appropriate record of its resolution. Email is handled through Outlook and the providers involved in delivery.

3. When research leaves your browser

Typing into a research field does not by itself send the text for automated research. Saving clues sends them to the website database. Starting research, after the separate processing confirmation, sends the relevant clues, question and previous research context to OpenAI. Its web search may use parts of those clues to find public information.

Share only material you are entitled to use. Leave out living people’s identity numbers, private contact details, current addresses and unnecessary health, financial or other sensitive information. Family history can concern people who have never used this site; their privacy matters too.

Research uses store:false for the OpenAI Responses API. This does not mean zero retention or immediate deletion from every provider system. Security logs, exceptions and account controls are described in OpenAI’s data controls.

4. Providers and overseas processing

• Cloudflare: delivery, security, database hosting and optional Web Analytics. Privacy policy
• Google: sign-in and optional Google Analytics. Privacy policy
• OpenAI: the research and public-web search you request. Privacy policy
• Microsoft / Outlook: messages sent to our contact email. Privacy statement

Providers may process information outside Australia, including the United States and other countries where they operate. Before Us does not promise that information stays in Australia. We do not sell private research records or turn them into public articles. The operator may access information when needed to provide the service, resolve a request, protect security or meet a legal obligation.

Following a source link creates a visit to that website under its own privacy policy. A link in a research result does not transfer your saved investigation to the destination website.

5. Optional analytics

If you accept analytics, Google Analytics and Cloudflare Web Analytics help measure visits, referral sources, devices and page performance on public pages. Their scripts are not loaded on private research or login pages. The website does not deliberately send family clues, questions, saved results, names, email addresses or account identifiers to those analytics services.

Google Analytics cookies are configured for up to 180 days; advertising personalisation signals are disabled. Cloudflare Web Analytics does not use analytics cookies. Both receive technical network information when their scripts run. Provider-side retention follows the relevant controls and policies.

Use “Privacy & Cookie settings” at the bottom of any page to withdraw. After the page reloads, analytics stop and this site’s Google Analytics cookies are cleared. Previously received provider data is not automatically erased. Read the Cookie privacy policy.

6. How long information is kept

• Saved investigations remain until you delete them or the operator processes an applicable deletion request. They do not currently expire automatically.
• Sign-in sessions expire after seven days; temporary login transactions expire after ten minutes. Expired authentication entries are removed during later login activity. Expiry and physical removal are different events.
• Research usage records older than 30 days are cleared during subsequent research request processing. They may remain longer when no new requests are received.
• Privacy choices are valid for 180 days; the local storage value remains until replaced or cleared. A selected language is remembered for up to one year.
• Support correspondence is retained as needed for the issue and related legal or security obligations. Hosting recovery copies, infrastructure logs and providers’ records have separate retention arrangements. We do not promise an unverified deletion date for those systems.

7. Access, correction and deletion

Your workspace lets you edit clues, export a record and delete an investigation from the active application database. Keep your own copy of anything important. Deletion does not remove previously downloaded files, someone else’s copy, provider logs or recovery copies on the same schedule.

Email the operator to request access, correction, deletion, restriction or another applicable privacy right. You can also ask about information concerning you that someone else submitted. Explain what you want to happen. Verification may be needed, but do not send identity documents in the first message.

The operator will review your request and explain the outcome, any further information needed or why it cannot be met. If you are unhappy with the response, consult the appropriate privacy authority. The OAIC privacy complaints guidance explains the Australian process and when it can consider a complaint.

8. Advertising is not currently active

Before Us plans to support public content with advertising, potentially Google AdSense. No advertising is currently served. Accepting analytics is not consent to future advertising.

If Google ads are introduced, third-party vendors including Google may use advertising cookies to serve ads based on visits to this and other websites. Google and its partners may use those cookies for personalised advertising where the applicable choices and consent permit. Manage Google personalisation in My Ad Center or read Google’s partner-site information.

Before ads are enabled, we will update this policy and the consent controls to identify the services actually used and the choices available. Where Google requires a certified consent management platform, one must be in place before the affected ads are served. The current analytics dialog is not a Google-certified advertising consent platform.

9. Children and other people’s information

This is a general family history service, not a service directed at children. Younger users should involve a parent or guardian before creating an account or submitting family information. Do not use the site to locate a living person’s private contact details or whereabouts. Contact the operator if you believe inappropriate personal information has been provided.

10. Updates and contact

This page changes when the service, providers or data uses change. The date above identifies the version. A material change requiring a fresh choice will have a new notice or consent request. Contact Luojia Zhang at lucaszlj821@outlook.com.