Privacy Policy
Last updated: October 2026
Kin-Vine is a private, invite-only home for your family. Protecting your family's memories and information is the entire point of this service. This policy explains what we collect, how we use it, and the things we will never do.
Information we collect
Account details you provide: your name, family name, email address, your confirmation that you are 18 or older, an optional date of birth, an optional phone number, and password (passwords are stored encrypted by our authentication provider).
Family content you choose to add: photos, videos, voice recordings, stories, messages, recipes, documents, milestones, events, the places your family has lived (the city or town you type in, never your device's GPS location), and the relationships in your family tree.
Payment information: handled directly and securely by Stripe. We never see or store your full card number.
Basic usage data needed to operate and improve the service (for example, sign-in activity and feature usage), error reports when something breaks, and a device token so we can send you the notifications you've turned on.
How we use your information
To create and run your private family space, deliver the features you use, process your subscription, and send you account and service emails (such as confirmations, reminders, and updates you've enabled).
What we will never do
We do not sell your data. We do not show ads. We do not make your family content public. Your family space is visible only to the people you personally invite.
Who we share it with
Only the family members you invite can see your shared content. Behind the scenes we use trusted service providers strictly to operate Kin-Vine: Supabase (database, file storage, and authentication), Vercel (hosting), Resend (email delivery), Google Firebase Cloud Messaging and Apple Push Notification service (notifications), and Stripe (payments on our website). They process data only on our behalf. To place a town on your family map we also use OpenStreetMap's public map service, which receives only the place name you type, sent from our servers, never who you are.
Artificial intelligence features. When you post, our automatic filter checks the text. A small share of posts it can't classify on its own (for example, text in another language) is sent to Anthropic (the Claude model) to check for harmful content. Anthropic also powers Ask the Vine, and receives the family content needed to answer a question — for example, the memories and stories that question is about. Replicate runs Photo Magic (restoring and colorizing a photo you choose, which may include photos of children added by a parent or guardian) and automatically turns each voice recording you add into text. These providers process this content only to perform the task it was sent for. Ask the Vine and Photo Magic are optional — if you never use them, your content is not sent to them for those features.
We may disclose information if required by law, or to protect the safety and rights of our users.
Children & families (COPPA)
Kin-Vine accounts are for adults 18 and older. Everyone who signs up confirms they are 18 or older.
Children and teens can be kept on the family tree by a parent; they don't have their own login. A parent, guardian, or family administrator creates and manages their profile, and we do not knowingly collect personal information directly from anyone under 18.
At adulthood (18+), a person may claim ownership of their own profile. Throughout, a parent or guardian can manage, correct, or delete a child's profile and its data at any time by contacting info@kin-vine.com or using in-app controls.
Your choices and rights
You can access and update your information at any time, and you can cancel your subscription whenever you like.
You can also delete your account. Your account and personal data are deleted; content you added to shared family history may be retained de-identified. Kin-Vine is a shared family space, so deleting your account doesn't erase your family's history. The memories, photos, and recipes you shared stay with your family, shown as "a former family member," and your place in the family tree stays connected so no one's lineage breaks — but it no longer carries your name.
To request deletion of your account and associated data, contact us at info@kin-vine.com.
California privacy rights (CCPA/CPRA)
If you are a California resident, you have the right to know what personal information we collect, to access and delete it, to correct inaccuracies, and to not be discriminated against for exercising these rights.
Kin-Vine does not sell or share your personal information, and does not use it for cross-context behavioral advertising. To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@kin-vine.com.
Security
We use industry-standard measures to protect your information, including encryption in transit (TLS) and at rest, role-based access controls so family content is visible only to invited members, and an audit log of significant changes to a family network. No system is perfectly secure, but safeguarding your family's memories is a core priority.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. We'll post the new date above and, for significant changes, notify you.