Ancestry Transparency Report
July 2021
2 August 2021
Providing transparency about when we get requests from government or law enforcement for access to our customer data is an ongoing part of Ancestry’s commitment to protect our customers and their data. Our latest transparency report covers the first half of 2021 and prior transparency reports can be found linked at the bottom of this document. This report covers requested access addressed to all Ancestry brands.
As explained in our Guide for Law Enforcement and our Privacy Statement, Ancestry requires valid legal process for all law enforcement access. Additionally, we believe that the nature of our members’ DNA data is particularly sensitive, so we insist on a court order or search warrant as the minimum level of due process before we will review our ability to comply with the request. We also seek to put our members’ privacy first, so we also will try to minimize the scope or even invalidate the warrant before complying.
Overview
US-based requests:
- Ancestry received no valid requests for access to customers’ DNA data between January 1 and June 30, 2021.
- Ancestry received five valid law enforcement requests seeking non-DNA customer data related to criminal investigations involving alleged crimes, including credit card misuse, fraud, and/or identity theft. Ancestry provided non-DNA data in response to one of those requests.
International Requests:
Ancestry received no valid requests from outside the United States.
National Security Requests
As of June 30, 2021, Ancestry has never received a classified request pursuant to the national security laws of the United States or any other country. In other words, Ancestry has not received a National Security Letter or a request under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
