Privacy Policy

Blounts Creek Family Circle

Last Updated: October 25, 2026

1. Our Commitment to Your Privacy

Blounts Creek Family Circle is dedicated to bringing together relatives near and far to discover our shared roots, preserve our family stories, and celebrate our heritage.

We respect the privacy of our family members, website visitors, and contributors. This Privacy Policy explains how information may be collected, used, stored, and shared when you visit our website, submit information, contribute family photographs, or contact us.

Our goal is to preserve our family history while treating personal information with care, respect, and dignity.

2. Information We May Collect

Depending on how you use our website, we may collect the following types of information:

  • Contact information: Your name, email address, and other details you voluntarily provide through a contact form or email.

  • Family history contributions: Family names, ancestral relationships, historical accounts, photographs, documents, and other information you choose to share.

  • Family research information: Genealogy records, family tree details, and information about historical relationships that you voluntarily submit.

  • Website usage information: Certain technical information, such as browser type, pages visited, and general website activity, may be collected through hosting services, security tools, or analytics services if enabled.

Please share only the information you are comfortable making available for the intended purpose.

3. How We Use Information

Information provided to Blounts Creek Family Circle may be used to:

  • Preserve and document our family’s history and heritage.

  • Help relatives identify ancestors and discover family connections.

  • Publish family stories, historical articles, photographs, and research findings when appropriate.

  • Respond to questions, messages, and requests.

  • Communicate information about family meetings, reunions, projects, and website updates when applicable.

  • Maintain website security and improve the visitor experience.

We strive to use information for purposes consistent with our family-history mission.

4. Family Photographs, Stories, and Historical Records

Family photographs and historical records help preserve memories and connect generations. However, not every family record is appropriate for public display.

Before submitting photographs, stories, documents, or other materials, please consider the privacy of everyone identified in them.

Please do not submit private correspondence, sensitive personal records, or photographs of living individuals for public posting without appropriate permission.

We may review, decline, edit, restrict, or remove submitted material when necessary to respect privacy, correct inaccuracies, address concerns, or protect the interests of family members.

Submitting material does not automatically guarantee that it will be published.

5. Information About Living Family Members

We recognize that genealogy research can involve information about living relatives as well as ancestors who have passed away.

We encourage contributors to exercise particular care when sharing information about living people, including birth dates, contact details, family relationships, personal circumstances, and photographs.

Please do not publish another person’s private information without their permission or another appropriate basis for sharing it.

Blounts Creek Family Circle reserves the right to remove information when a legitimate privacy concern is brought to our attention.

6. DNA Results and Genetic Information

Family DNA research can help relatives explore ancestral connections, but genetic information is highly personal.

Please do not submit raw DNA files, DNA account login information, genetic health reports, or another person’s DNA results through our website.

If you choose to share DNA-match information or family research findings, consider removing identifying details that are not necessary to explain the discovery.

We encourage everyone to approach unexpected family relationships, adoption discoveries, and other sensitive findings with discretion and compassion.

Blounts Creek Family Circle does not provide genetic testing or medical advice.

7. Cookies and Website Technologies

Our website may use cookies or similar technologies to support website functionality, security, visitor preferences, or analytics.

The cookies used will depend on the WordPress theme, plugins, hosting services, and other tools installed on the website.

You may be able to manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. Some website features may not function properly if certain cookies are disabled.

If analytics, embedded content, or third-party services are enabled, those services may collect information according to their own privacy policies.

8. When Information May Be Shared

We do not intend to sell family members’ personal information.

Information may be shared in limited circumstances, such as:

  • When you have given permission for a photograph, story, or record to be published.

  • When sharing is necessary to provide a service you have requested.

  • With website hosting, security, or technical service providers when necessary to operate the website.

  • When disclosure is required by law or reasonably necessary to address security, fraud, or legal concerns.

Information published publicly on the website may be viewed, copied, or shared by other people. We cannot guarantee that information once made public will remain exclusively within our family community.

9. Third-Party Websites and Services

Our website may contain links to genealogy websites, historical archives, social media platforms, educational resources, and other external websites.

These websites operate independently and have their own privacy practices. We are not responsible for the privacy policies, content, or security practices of external services.

Please review the privacy policy of any third-party website before submitting personal information.

10. Protecting Your Information

We take reasonable steps to protect information entrusted to us against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, or disclosure.

However, no website, electronic communication, or method of storing information can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

Please avoid sending passwords, financial account details, government identification numbers, or other highly sensitive information through ordinary website forms or email.

11. Your Privacy Choices and Requests

You may contact us to:

  • Ask what personal information you have submitted to us.

  • Request correction of inaccurate information you provided.

  • Request removal of a photograph, story, or personal information you contributed.

  • Withdraw permission for future publication of material you previously submitted, where applicable.

  • Ask questions about how your information is handled.

We will review reasonable requests and take appropriate action, subject to applicable law, legitimate recordkeeping needs, and technical limitations.

Please note that removing information from our website may not remove copies previously downloaded, shared, archived, or indexed by third parties.

12. Children’s Privacy

Our family-history mission may be of interest to relatives of all generations. Nevertheless, we encourage parents and guardians to exercise care when sharing information or photographs of children.

Children should not submit personal information through the website without appropriate parental or guardian involvement.

We do not knowingly seek to collect children’s personal information without appropriate consent where required by law.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as our website, family-history projects, and practices evolve.

When changes are made, we will update the “Last Updated” date shown at the beginning of this page. Visitors are encouraged to review this page periodically.

14. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to request a change to information you have submitted, please contact Blounts Creek Family Circle through the contact information or contact form provided on our website.

We appreciate your trust and your participation in preserving our shared family history.

Blounts Creek Family Circle

Discover our history, not judge our history.