Ancestry.com - Revision history

IronRune: Citation for cancellations

2026-03-14T17:30:07Z

Citation for cancellations

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:30, 14 March 2026
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	Their business model centers around subscription plans which have the following restrictions.		Their business model centers around subscription plans which have the following restrictions.

	*Predefined cancellation fees (e.g., up to $25, $50, or the remaining balance).~~{{Citation needed\|date~~=~~27 Jan 2026}}~~		*Predefined cancellation fees (e.g., up to $25, $50, or the remaining balance).<ref name=":1" />
	*Consumers need to cancel two days before the renewal date or trial expiration.~~{{Citation needed\|date~~=~~27 Jan 2026}}~~		*Consumers need to cancel at least two days before the renewal date or trial expiration.<ref name=":1" />
	*Limited to narrow, front-loaded refund windows.{{Clarify\|how}}<!-- I removed "No refund" point because this point contradicts that -->		*Limited to narrow, front-loaded refund windows.{{Clarify\|how}}<!-- I removed "No refund" point because this point contradicts that -->
	*Only long-term commitments, such as 6-month and 12-month plans.{{Citation needed\|date=27 Jan 2026}}		*Only long-term commitments, such as 6-month and 12-month plans.{{Citation needed\|date=27 Jan 2026}}
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	===Cancellation policy===		===Cancellation policy===
	Ancestry.com may charge a cancellation fee for "Subscriptions Longer than a Month, Billed Monthly" if users do not cancel within the first 14 days.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2 Dec 2025 \|title=Ancestry Renewal and Cancellation Terms \|url=https://www.ancestry.com/c/legal/renewal-cancellation-terms \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251011193700/https://www.ancestry.com/c/legal/renewal-cancellation-terms \|archive-date=11 Oct 2025 \|access-date=2025-02-05 \|website=Ancestry}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|date=26 Jun 2023 \|title=Cancelation fee ? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/AncestryDNA/comments/14jqeu9/cancelation_fee/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230626191850/https://old.reddit.com/r/AncestryDNA/comments/14jqeu9/cancelation_fee/ \|archive-date=26 Jun 2023\|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=Reddit \|via=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>		Ancestry.com may charge a cancellation fee for "Subscriptions Longer than a Month, Billed Monthly" if users do not cancel within the first 14 days.<ref name=":1">{{cite web \|date=2 Dec 2025 \|title=Ancestry Renewal and Cancellation Terms \|url=https://www.ancestry.com/c/legal/renewal-cancellation-terms \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251011193700/https://www.ancestry.com/c/legal/renewal-cancellation-terms \|archive-date=11 Oct 2025 \|access-date=2025-02-05 \|website=Ancestry}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|date=26 Jun 2023 \|title=Cancelation fee ? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/AncestryDNA/comments/14jqeu9/cancelation_fee/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230626191850/https://old.reddit.com/r/AncestryDNA/comments/14jqeu9/cancelation_fee/ \|archive-date=26 Jun 2023\|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=Reddit \|via=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>

	<blockquote>		<blockquote>

Bananabot: Re-archived 1 citation(s) from archive.today to web.archive.org using CRWCitationBot

2026-02-22T21:43:54Z

Re-archived 1 citation(s) from archive.today to web.archive.org using CRWCitationBot

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:43, 22 February 2026
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	===Data Breach (2015)===		===Data Breach (2015)===
	RootsWeb, an Ancestry service, suffered a significant data breach. A file containing the access data of approximately 297.8 thousand users was publicly accessible on its server from November 2015 to December 2017.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Ancestry \|url=https://haveibeenpwned.com/breach/Ancestry \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251218083052/https://haveibeenpwned.com/Breach/Ancestry \|archive-date=18 Dec 2025\|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=haveibeenpwned.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|date=22 Feb 2024 \|title=What happened in the Ancestry data breach? \|url=https://www.twingate.com/blog/tips/ancestry-data-breach \|archive-url=https://archive.ph/~~pxd1Y~~ \|archive-date=~~10 Nov 2024~~ \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=Twingate}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web \|last=Spring \|first=Tom \|date=27 Dec 2017 \|title=Leaky RootsWeb Server Exposes Some Ancestry.com User Data \|url=https://threatpost.com/leaky-rootsweb-server-exposes-some-ancestry-com-user-data/129248/ \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250818105231/https://threatpost.com/leaky-rootsweb-server-exposes-some-ancestry-com-user-data/129248/ \|archive-date=18 Aug 2025\|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=threatpost}}</ref> The company published a security update on its official website, which is now unavailable, stating that it temporarily shut down RootsWeb and locked all compromised Ancestry accounts, requiring users to change their passwords.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Blackham \|first=Tony \|date=23 Dec 2017 \|title=RootsWeb Security Update \|url=https://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2017/12/23/rootsweb-security-update/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227232406/https://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2017/12/23/rootsweb-security-update/ \|archive-date=27 Dec 2017 \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=Ancestry}}</ref> Below is part of the full statement:<blockquote>We want to share an important security update with you.		RootsWeb, an Ancestry service, suffered a significant data breach. A file containing the access data of approximately 297.8 thousand users was publicly accessible on its server from November 2015 to December 2017.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Ancestry \|url=https://haveibeenpwned.com/breach/Ancestry \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251218083052/https://haveibeenpwned.com/Breach/Ancestry \|archive-date=18 Dec 2025\|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=haveibeenpwned.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|date=22 Feb 2024 \|title=What happened in the Ancestry data breach? \|url=https://www.twingate.com/blog/tips/ancestry-data-breach \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260222204053/https://www.twingate.com/blog/tips/ancestry-data-breach \|archive-date=22 Feb 2026\|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=Twingate}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web \|last=Spring \|first=Tom \|date=27 Dec 2017 \|title=Leaky RootsWeb Server Exposes Some Ancestry.com User Data \|url=https://threatpost.com/leaky-rootsweb-server-exposes-some-ancestry-com-user-data/129248/ \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250818105231/https://threatpost.com/leaky-rootsweb-server-exposes-some-ancestry-com-user-data/129248/ \|archive-date=18 Aug 2025\|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=threatpost}}</ref> The company published a security update on its official website, which is now unavailable, stating that it temporarily shut down RootsWeb and locked all compromised Ancestry accounts, requiring users to change their passwords.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Blackham \|first=Tony \|date=23 Dec 2017 \|title=RootsWeb Security Update \|url=https://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2017/12/23/rootsweb-security-update/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227232406/https://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2017/12/23/rootsweb-security-update/ \|archive-date=27 Dec 2017 \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=Ancestry}}</ref> Below is part of the full statement:<blockquote>We want to share an important security update with you.

	Last Wednesday, December 20, Ancestry’s Information Security Team received a message from a security researcher indicating that he had found a file containing email addresses/username and password combinations as well as user names from a RootsWeb.com server. Our Information Security Team reviewed the details of this file, and confirmed that it contains information related to users of Rootsweb’s surname list information, a service we retired earlier this year. For those of you who are unfamiliar, RootsWeb is a free community-driven collection of tools that are used by some people to host and share genealogical information. Ancestry has been hosting dedicated RootsWeb servers as a favor to the community since 2000. Importantly, RootsWeb does not host sensitive information like credit card numbers or social security numbers, and is not supported by the same infrastructure as Ancestry’s other brands. We are in the process of informing all impacted customers and will also be working with regulators and law enforcement as appropriate.		Last Wednesday, December 20, Ancestry’s Information Security Team received a message from a security researcher indicating that he had found a file containing email addresses/username and password combinations as well as user names from a RootsWeb.com server. Our Information Security Team reviewed the details of this file, and confirmed that it contains information related to users of Rootsweb’s surname list information, a service we retired earlier this year. For those of you who are unfamiliar, RootsWeb is a free community-driven collection of tools that are used by some people to host and share genealogical information. Ancestry has been hosting dedicated RootsWeb servers as a favor to the community since 2000. Importantly, RootsWeb does not host sensitive information like credit card numbers or social security numbers, and is not supported by the same infrastructure as Ancestry’s other brands. We are in the process of informing all impacted customers and will also be working with regulators and law enforcement as appropriate.

Bananabot: Re-archived 3 citation(s) from archive.today to web.archive.org using CRWCitationBot

2026-02-22T20:32:53Z

Re-archived 3 citation(s) from archive.today to web.archive.org using CRWCitationBot

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:32, 22 February 2026
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	===Cancellation policy===		===Cancellation policy===
	Ancestry.com may charge a cancellation fee for "Subscriptions Longer than a Month, Billed Monthly" if users do not cancel within the first 14 days.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2 Dec 2025 \|title=Ancestry Renewal and Cancellation Terms \|url=https://www.ancestry.com/c/legal/renewal-cancellation-terms \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251011193700/https://www.ancestry.com/c/legal/renewal-cancellation-terms \|archive-date=11 Oct 2025 \|access-date=2025-02-05 \|website=Ancestry}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|date=26 Jun 2023 \|title=Cancelation fee ? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/AncestryDNA/comments/14jqeu9/cancelation_fee/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://~~archive~~.ph/~~cUe64~~ \|archive-date=~~7 Jan 2026~~ \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=Reddit \|via=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>		Ancestry.com may charge a cancellation fee for "Subscriptions Longer than a Month, Billed Monthly" if users do not cancel within the first 14 days.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2 Dec 2025 \|title=Ancestry Renewal and Cancellation Terms \|url=https://www.ancestry.com/c/legal/renewal-cancellation-terms \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251011193700/https://www.ancestry.com/c/legal/renewal-cancellation-terms \|archive-date=11 Oct 2025 \|access-date=2025-02-05 \|website=Ancestry}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|date=26 Jun 2023 \|title=Cancelation fee ? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/AncestryDNA/comments/14jqeu9/cancelation_fee/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230626191850/https://old.reddit.com/r/AncestryDNA/comments/14jqeu9/cancelation_fee/ \|archive-date=26 Jun 2023\|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=Reddit \|via=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>

	<blockquote>		<blockquote>
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	===Data Breach (2015)===		===Data Breach (2015)===
	RootsWeb, an Ancestry service, suffered a significant data breach. A file containing the access data of approximately 297.8 thousand users was publicly accessible on its server from November 2015 to December 2017.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Ancestry \|url=https://haveibeenpwned.com/breach/Ancestry \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://~~archive~~.ph/~~mgqKd~~ \|archive-date=~~7 Jan 2026~~ \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=haveibeenpwned.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|date=22 Feb 2024 \|title=What happened in the Ancestry data breach? \|url=https://www.twingate.com/blog/tips/ancestry-data-breach \|archive-url=https://archive.ph/pxd1Y \|archive-date=10 Nov 2024 \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=Twingate}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web \|last=Spring \|first=Tom \|date=27 Dec 2017 \|title=Leaky RootsWeb Server Exposes Some Ancestry.com User Data \|url=https://threatpost.com/leaky-rootsweb-server-exposes-some-ancestry-com-user-data/129248/ \|archive-url=https://~~archive~~.ph/~~XP0Ch~~ \|archive-date=~~7 Jan 2026~~ \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=threatpost}}</ref> The company published a security update on its official website, which is now unavailable, stating that it temporarily shut down RootsWeb and locked all compromised Ancestry accounts, requiring users to change their passwords.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Blackham \|first=Tony \|date=23 Dec 2017 \|title=RootsWeb Security Update \|url=https://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2017/12/23/rootsweb-security-update/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227232406/https://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2017/12/23/rootsweb-security-update/ \|archive-date=27 Dec 2017 \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=Ancestry}}</ref> Below is part of the full statement:<blockquote>We want to share an important security update with you.		RootsWeb, an Ancestry service, suffered a significant data breach. A file containing the access data of approximately 297.8 thousand users was publicly accessible on its server from November 2015 to December 2017.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Ancestry \|url=https://haveibeenpwned.com/breach/Ancestry \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251218083052/https://haveibeenpwned.com/Breach/Ancestry \|archive-date=18 Dec 2025\|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=haveibeenpwned.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|date=22 Feb 2024 \|title=What happened in the Ancestry data breach? \|url=https://www.twingate.com/blog/tips/ancestry-data-breach \|archive-url=https://archive.ph/pxd1Y \|archive-date=10 Nov 2024 \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=Twingate}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web \|last=Spring \|first=Tom \|date=27 Dec 2017 \|title=Leaky RootsWeb Server Exposes Some Ancestry.com User Data \|url=https://threatpost.com/leaky-rootsweb-server-exposes-some-ancestry-com-user-data/129248/ \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250818105231/https://threatpost.com/leaky-rootsweb-server-exposes-some-ancestry-com-user-data/129248/ \|archive-date=18 Aug 2025\|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=threatpost}}</ref> The company published a security update on its official website, which is now unavailable, stating that it temporarily shut down RootsWeb and locked all compromised Ancestry accounts, requiring users to change their passwords.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Blackham \|first=Tony \|date=23 Dec 2017 \|title=RootsWeb Security Update \|url=https://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2017/12/23/rootsweb-security-update/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227232406/https://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2017/12/23/rootsweb-security-update/ \|archive-date=27 Dec 2017 \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=Ancestry}}</ref> Below is part of the full statement:<blockquote>We want to share an important security update with you.

	Last Wednesday, December 20, Ancestry’s Information Security Team received a message from a security researcher indicating that he had found a file containing email addresses/username and password combinations as well as user names from a RootsWeb.com server. Our Information Security Team reviewed the details of this file, and confirmed that it contains information related to users of Rootsweb’s surname list information, a service we retired earlier this year. For those of you who are unfamiliar, RootsWeb is a free community-driven collection of tools that are used by some people to host and share genealogical information. Ancestry has been hosting dedicated RootsWeb servers as a favor to the community since 2000. Importantly, RootsWeb does not host sensitive information like credit card numbers or social security numbers, and is not supported by the same infrastructure as Ancestry’s other brands. We are in the process of informing all impacted customers and will also be working with regulators and law enforcement as appropriate.		Last Wednesday, December 20, Ancestry’s Information Security Team received a message from a security researcher indicating that he had found a file containing email addresses/username and password combinations as well as user names from a RootsWeb.com server. Our Information Security Team reviewed the details of this file, and confirmed that it contains information related to users of Rootsweb’s surname list information, a service we retired earlier this year. For those of you who are unfamiliar, RootsWeb is a free community-driven collection of tools that are used by some people to host and share genealogical information. Ancestry has been hosting dedicated RootsWeb servers as a favor to the community since 2000. Importantly, RootsWeb does not host sensitive information like credit card numbers or social security numbers, and is not supported by the same infrastructure as Ancestry’s other brands. We are in the process of informing all impacted customers and will also be working with regulators and law enforcement as appropriate.

Banana: Removed 1 duplicate url-status parameter(s) from 1 citation(s) using CRWCitationBot

2026-02-16T06:18:43Z

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	\|Website=https://ancestry.com/		\|Website=https://ancestry.com/
	}}		}}
	[[wikipedia:Ancestry.com\|'''Ancestry.com''']], owned by [[wikipedia:Blackstone_Inc.\|The Blackstone Group]], is a genealogy company based in the US, known for its DNA testing and family trees.<ref>{{Cite web \|date=27 Jan 2026 \|title=Our Story \|url=https://www.ancestry.com/corporate/about-ancestry/our-story \|url-status=live \|access-date=27 Jan 2026 \|website=Ancestry Corporate ~~\|url-status=live~~ \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260107172747/https://www.ancestry.com/corporate/about-ancestry/our-story \|archive-date=7 Jan 2026}}</ref>		[[wikipedia:Ancestry.com\|'''Ancestry.com''']], owned by [[wikipedia:Blackstone_Inc.\|The Blackstone Group]], is a genealogy company based in the US, known for its DNA testing and family trees.<ref>{{Cite web \|date=27 Jan 2026 \|title=Our Story \|url=https://www.ancestry.com/corporate/about-ancestry/our-story \|url-status=live \|access-date=27 Jan 2026 \|website=Ancestry Corporate \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260107172747/https://www.ancestry.com/corporate/about-ancestry/our-story \|archive-date=7 Jan 2026}}</ref>

	==Consumer impact summary==		==Consumer impact summary==

Banana: Added archive URLs for 1 citation(s) using CRWCitationBot

2026-02-15T21:43:43Z

Added archive URLs for 1 citation(s) using CRWCitationBot

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:43, 15 February 2026
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	\|Website=https://ancestry.com/		\|Website=https://ancestry.com/
	}}		}}
	[[wikipedia:Ancestry.com\|'''Ancestry.com''']], owned by [[wikipedia:Blackstone_Inc.\|The Blackstone Group]], is a genealogy company based in the US, known for its DNA testing and family trees.<ref>{{Cite web \|date=27 Jan 2026 \|title=Our Story \|url=https://www.ancestry.com/corporate/about-ancestry/our-story \|url-status=live \|access-date=27 Jan 2026 \|website=Ancestry Corporate}}</ref>		[[wikipedia:Ancestry.com\|'''Ancestry.com''']], owned by [[wikipedia:Blackstone_Inc.\|The Blackstone Group]], is a genealogy company based in the US, known for its DNA testing and family trees.<ref>{{Cite web \|date=27 Jan 2026 \|title=Our Story \|url=https://www.ancestry.com/corporate/about-ancestry/our-story \|url-status=live \|access-date=27 Jan 2026 \|website=Ancestry Corporate \|url-status=live \|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260107172747/https://www.ancestry.com/corporate/about-ancestry/our-story \|archive-date=7 Jan 2026}}</ref>

	==Consumer impact summary==		==Consumer impact summary==

Bythmusters: Added Cargo template in place of Infobox, moved to Product

2026-01-29T18:18:13Z

Added Cargo template in place of Infobox, moved to Product

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:18, 29 January 2026
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	{{incomplete\|Issue 1=This need work to fit the [[Template:CompanyPreload\|company article format]]\|Issue 2= The section regarding the data leak is empty}}		{{incomplete\|Issue 1=This need work to fit the [[Template:CompanyPreload\|company article format]]\|Issue 2= The section regarding the data leak is empty}}
			{{ProductCargo
	{{~~InfoboxProductLine~~		\|ArticleType=Service
	\| ~~Title~~ = ~~Ancestry.com~~		\|Category=Genealogy
	\| ~~Release Year~~ = ~~1996~~		\|Company=Blackstone
	\| ~~Product Type~~ = ~~Genealogy~~		\|Description=
	\| ~~In Production~~ = Yes		\|InProduction=Yes
	\| ~~Official~~ Website = https://ancestry.com/		\|Logo=Ancestry.svg
	~~\| Logo = Ancestry.svg~~		\|ProductLine=
			\|ReleaseYear=1996
			\|Website=https://ancestry.com/
	}}		}}

	[[wikipedia:Ancestry.com\|'''Ancestry.com''']], owned by [[wikipedia:Blackstone_Inc.\|The Blackstone Group]], is a genealogy company based in the US, known for its DNA testing and family trees.<ref>{{Cite web \|date=27 Jan 2026 \|title=Our Story \|url=https://www.ancestry.com/corporate/about-ancestry/our-story \|url-status=live \|access-date=27 Jan 2026 \|website=Ancestry Corporate}}</ref>		[[wikipedia:Ancestry.com\|'''Ancestry.com''']], owned by [[wikipedia:Blackstone_Inc.\|The Blackstone Group]], is a genealogy company based in the US, known for its DNA testing and family trees.<ref>{{Cite web \|date=27 Jan 2026 \|title=Our Story \|url=https://www.ancestry.com/corporate/about-ancestry/our-story \|url-status=live \|access-date=27 Jan 2026 \|website=Ancestry Corporate}}</ref>

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2026-01-27T17:49:05Z

An extra in-line citation for an existing source has been added for clarity.

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:49, 27 January 2026
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	==Consumer impact summary==		==Consumer impact summary==

	==== Strict cancellation and renewal policy ====		====Strict cancellation and renewal policy====
	Their business model centers around subscription plans which have the following restrictions.		Their business model centers around subscription plans which have the following restrictions.

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	Their Privacy Policies regarding consumer data are subject to change. This can leave many consumers unaware of potential updates to the terms that govern how their data is handled, an especially concerning issue given that genetic data is unique, sensitive, and carries significant implications for consumers’ relatives.{{Citation needed\|date=27 Jan 2026}}		Their Privacy Policies regarding consumer data are subject to change. This can leave many consumers unaware of potential updates to the terms that govern how their data is handled, an especially concerning issue given that genetic data is unique, sensitive, and carries significant implications for consumers’ relatives.{{Citation needed\|date=27 Jan 2026}}

	==== Data breach ====		====Data breach====
	Ancestry.com was involved in a data breach where about 300,000 email addresses, usernames, and plaintext passwords were exposed. The breach happened in 2015, but it wasn’t until late 2017 when it was finally discovered and confirmed.<!-- More section suggestions:		Ancestry.com was involved in a data breach where about 300,000 email addresses, usernames, and plaintext passwords were exposed. The breach happened in 2015, but it wasn’t until late 2017 when it was finally discovered and confirmed.<ref name=":0" /><!-- More section suggestions:
	Third-party sharing and consent complex and unclear		Third-party sharing and consent complex and unclear
	Potential future business acquisitions		Potential future business acquisitions
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	===Data Breach (2015)===		===Data Breach (2015)===
	RootsWeb, an Ancestry service, suffered a significant data breach. A file containing the access data of approximately 297.8 thousand users was publicly accessible on its server from November 2015 to December 2017.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Ancestry \|url=https://haveibeenpwned.com/breach/Ancestry \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://archive.ph/mgqKd \|archive-date=7 Jan 2026 \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=haveibeenpwned.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|date=22 Feb 2024 \|title=What happened in the Ancestry data breach? \|url=https://www.twingate.com/blog/tips/ancestry-data-breach \|archive-url=https://archive.ph/pxd1Y \|archive-date=10 Nov 2024 \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=Twingate}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Spring \|first=Tom \|date=27 Dec 2017 \|title=Leaky RootsWeb Server Exposes Some Ancestry.com User Data \|url=https://threatpost.com/leaky-rootsweb-server-exposes-some-ancestry-com-user-data/129248/ \|archive-url=https://archive.ph/XP0Ch \|archive-date=7 Jan 2026 \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=threatpost}}</ref> The company published a security update on its official website, which is now unavailable, stating that it temporarily shut down RootsWeb and locked all compromised Ancestry accounts, requiring users to change their passwords.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Blackham \|first=Tony \|date=23 Dec 2017 \|title=RootsWeb Security Update \|url=https://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2017/12/23/rootsweb-security-update/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227232406/https://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2017/12/23/rootsweb-security-update/ \|archive-date=27 Dec 2017 \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=Ancestry}}</ref> Below is part of the full statement:<blockquote>We want to share an important security update with you.		RootsWeb, an Ancestry service, suffered a significant data breach. A file containing the access data of approximately 297.8 thousand users was publicly accessible on its server from November 2015 to December 2017.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Ancestry \|url=https://haveibeenpwned.com/breach/Ancestry \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://archive.ph/mgqKd \|archive-date=7 Jan 2026 \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=haveibeenpwned.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|date=22 Feb 2024 \|title=What happened in the Ancestry data breach? \|url=https://www.twingate.com/blog/tips/ancestry-data-breach \|archive-url=https://archive.ph/pxd1Y \|archive-date=10 Nov 2024 \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=Twingate}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web \|last=Spring \|first=Tom \|date=27 Dec 2017 \|title=Leaky RootsWeb Server Exposes Some Ancestry.com User Data \|url=https://threatpost.com/leaky-rootsweb-server-exposes-some-ancestry-com-user-data/129248/ \|archive-url=https://archive.ph/XP0Ch \|archive-date=7 Jan 2026 \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=threatpost}}</ref> The company published a security update on its official website, which is now unavailable, stating that it temporarily shut down RootsWeb and locked all compromised Ancestry accounts, requiring users to change their passwords.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Blackham \|first=Tony \|date=23 Dec 2017 \|title=RootsWeb Security Update \|url=https://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2017/12/23/rootsweb-security-update/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227232406/https://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2017/12/23/rootsweb-security-update/ \|archive-date=27 Dec 2017 \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=Ancestry}}</ref> Below is part of the full statement:<blockquote>We want to share an important security update with you.

	Last Wednesday, December 20, Ancestry’s Information Security Team received a message from a security researcher indicating that he had found a file containing email addresses/username and password combinations as well as user names from a RootsWeb.com server. Our Information Security Team reviewed the details of this file, and confirmed that it contains information related to users of Rootsweb’s surname list information, a service we retired earlier this year. For those of you who are unfamiliar, RootsWeb is a free community-driven collection of tools that are used by some people to host and share genealogical information. Ancestry has been hosting dedicated RootsWeb servers as a favor to the community since 2000. Importantly, RootsWeb does not host sensitive information like credit card numbers or social security numbers, and is not supported by the same infrastructure as Ancestry’s other brands. We are in the process of informing all impacted customers and will also be working with regulators and law enforcement as appropriate.		Last Wednesday, December 20, Ancestry’s Information Security Team received a message from a security researcher indicating that he had found a file containing email addresses/username and password combinations as well as user names from a RootsWeb.com server. Our Information Security Team reviewed the details of this file, and confirmed that it contains information related to users of Rootsweb’s surname list information, a service we retired earlier this year. For those of you who are unfamiliar, RootsWeb is a free community-driven collection of tools that are used by some people to host and share genealogical information. Ancestry has been hosting dedicated RootsWeb servers as a favor to the community since 2000. Importantly, RootsWeb does not host sensitive information like credit card numbers or social security numbers, and is not supported by the same infrastructure as Ancestry’s other brands. We are in the process of informing all impacted customers and will also be working with regulators and law enforcement as appropriate.

Reform: Empty subheaders have been removed, but preserved through a comment. Several citation needed templates have been added, and some sentences have been adjusted for clarity and NPOV. At last, a citation for the company description has been added.

2026-01-27T17:41:02Z

Empty subheaders have been removed, but preserved through a comment. Several citation needed templates have been added, and some sentences have been adjusted for clarity and NPOV. At last, a citation for the company description has been added.

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:41, 27 January 2026
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	}}		}}

	[[wikipedia:Ancestry.com\|'''Ancestry.com''']], owned by [[wikipedia:Blackstone_Inc.\|The Blackstone Group]], is a genealogy company based in the US, known for its DNA testing and family trees.		[[wikipedia:Ancestry.com\|'''Ancestry.com''']], owned by [[wikipedia:Blackstone_Inc.\|The Blackstone Group]], is a genealogy company based in the US, known for its DNA testing and family trees.<ref>{{Cite web \|date=27 Jan 2026 \|title=Our Story \|url=https://www.ancestry.com/corporate/about-ancestry/our-story \|url-status=live \|access-date=27 Jan 2026 \|website=Ancestry Corporate}}</ref>

	==Consumer impact summary==		==Consumer impact summary==

	===~~Business Practices~~===		==== Strict cancellation and renewal policy ====
	~~'''~~Strict ~~cancelation policy~~ and ~~strict~~ renewal policy~~:'''~~		Their business model centers around subscription plans which have the following restrictions.
	~~Consumers are restricted to~~ subscription plans ~~that are largely:~~

	* ~~Renewed by default unless canceled more than two days before the renewal date or trial expiration.~~		*Predefined cancellation fees (e.g., up to $25, $50, or the remaining balance).{{Citation needed\|date=27 Jan 2026}}
	* No-refundable.		*Consumers need to cancel two days before the renewal date or trial expiration.{{Citation needed\|date=27 Jan 2026}}
	* Subject to predefined cancellation fees (e.g., up to $25, $50, or the remaining balance).		*Limited to narrow, front-loaded refund windows.{{Clarify\|how}}<!-- I removed "No refund" point because this point contradicts that -->
	* Limited to narrow, front-loaded refund windows.		*Only long-term commitments, such as 6-month and 12-month plans.{{Citation needed\|date=27 Jan 2026}}
	* ~~Locked into~~ long-term commitments ~~for~~ 6-month and 12-month plans.

	===Privacy===		===Privacy===
	~~'''Third-party sharing~~ and ~~consent complex and unclear:'''~~		Their Privacy Policies regarding consumer data are subject to change. This can leave many consumers unaware of potential updates to the terms that govern how their data is handled, an especially concerning issue given that genetic data is unique, sensitive, and carries significant implications for consumers’ relatives.{{Citation needed\|date=27 Jan 2026}}

	~~'''Potential future business acquisitions:'''~~		==== Data breach ====
			Ancestry.com was involved in a data breach where about 300,000 email addresses, usernames, and plaintext passwords were exposed. The breach happened in 2015, but it wasn’t until late 2017 when it was finally discovered and confirmed.<!-- More section suggestions:
	~~'''Opt-in versus opt-out ambiguity:'''~~		Third-party sharing and consent complex and unclear
			Potential future business acquisitions
	~~'''Long-term data retention post deletion:'''~~		Opt-in versus opt-out ambiguity
			Long-term data retention post deletion
	~~'''Potential use on consumer data in genetic research:'''~~		Potential use on consumer data in genetic research -->

	~~'''Policy subject to change:'''~~

	Such is the case with many companies: their policies, including their Privacy Policies regarding consumer data, are subject to change. This can leave many consumers unaware of potential updates to the terms that govern how their data is handled, an especially concerning issue given that genetic data is unique, sensitive, and carries significant implications for consumers’ relatives.

	~~'''~~Data breach~~:'''~~

	Ancestry.com was involved in a data breach where about 300,000 email addresses, usernames, and plaintext passwords were exposed. The breach happened in 2015, but it wasn’t until late 2017 when it was finally discovered and confirmed.

	~~'''Lawsuits:'''~~

	==Anti-consumer practices==		==Anti-consumer practices==

Grantyofficial: Making page align more with the standard company model, adding to existing consumer concerns and appending new consumer concerns.

2026-01-27T06:41:46Z

Making page align more with the standard company model, adding to existing consumer concerns and appending new consumer concerns.

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:41, 27 January 2026
Line 15:		Line 15:

	===Business Practices===		===Business Practices===
	'''Strict ~~cancellation rules~~:'''		'''Strict cancelation policy and strict renewal policy:'''
			Consumers are restricted to subscription plans that are largely:

	14-~~day window~~ to ~~avoid~~ cancellation fees ($~~25–~~$50).		* Renewed by default unless canceled more than two days before the renewal date or trial expiration.
			* No-refundable.
			* Subject to predefined cancellation fees (e.g., up to $25, $50, or the remaining balance).
			* Limited to narrow, front-loaded refund windows.
			* Locked into long-term commitments for 6-month and 12-month plans.

	===Privacy===		===Privacy===
	'''2-~~year data breach (2015–2017)~~:'''		'''Third-party sharing and consent complex and unclear:'''

	~~Credentials leaked via RootsWeb; some~~ of ~~them reused on~~ Ancestry. ~~Exposed~~ data ~~remained public for years~~.		'''Potential future business acquisitions:'''

			'''Opt-in versus opt-out ambiguity:'''

			'''Long-term data retention post deletion:'''

			'''Potential use on consumer data in genetic research:'''

			'''Policy subject to change:'''

			Such is the case with many companies: their policies, including their Privacy Policies regarding consumer data, are subject to change. This can leave many consumers unaware of potential updates to the terms that govern how their data is handled, an especially concerning issue given that genetic data is unique, sensitive, and carries significant implications for consumers’ relatives.

			'''Data breach:'''

			Ancestry.com was involved in a data breach where about 300,000 email addresses, usernames, and plaintext passwords were exposed. The breach happened in 2015, but it wasn’t until late 2017 when it was finally discovered and confirmed.

			'''Lawsuits:'''

	==Anti-consumer practices==		==Anti-consumer practices==
Line 41:		Line 62:

	===Data Breach (2015)===		===Data Breach (2015)===
	RootsWeb, an Ancestry service, suffered a significant data breach~~: a~~ file containing the access data of 297.8 thousand users ~~has been~~ publicly accessible on ~~their~~ server from November 2015 to December 2017.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Ancestry \|url=https://haveibeenpwned.com/breach/Ancestry \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://archive.ph/mgqKd \|archive-date=7 Jan 2026 \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=haveibeenpwned.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|date=22 Feb 2024 \|title=What happened in the Ancestry data breach? \|url=https://www.twingate.com/blog/tips/ancestry-data-breach \|archive-url=https://archive.ph/pxd1Y \|archive-date=10 Nov 2024 \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=Twingate}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Spring \|first=Tom \|date=27 Dec 2017 \|title=Leaky RootsWeb Server Exposes Some Ancestry.com User Data \|url=https://threatpost.com/leaky-rootsweb-server-exposes-some-ancestry-com-user-data/129248/ \|archive-url=https://archive.ph/XP0Ch \|archive-date=7 Jan 2026 \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=threatpost}}</ref> The company published a security update on ~~the~~ official website, now unavailable, stating that ~~they temporarely~~ shut down RootsWeb and locked all ~~the~~ compromised Ancestry accounts, requiring users to change their passwords.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Blackham \|first=Tony \|date=23 Dec 2017 \|title=RootsWeb Security Update \|url=https://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2017/12/23/rootsweb-security-update/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227232406/https://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2017/12/23/rootsweb-security-update/ \|archive-date=27 Dec 2017 \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=Ancestry}}</ref> Below is part of the full statement:<blockquote>We want to share an important security update with you.		RootsWeb, an Ancestry service, suffered a significant data breach. A file containing the access data of approximately 297.8 thousand users was publicly accessible on its server from November 2015 to December 2017.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Ancestry \|url=https://haveibeenpwned.com/breach/Ancestry \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://archive.ph/mgqKd \|archive-date=7 Jan 2026 \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=haveibeenpwned.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|date=22 Feb 2024 \|title=What happened in the Ancestry data breach? \|url=https://www.twingate.com/blog/tips/ancestry-data-breach \|archive-url=https://archive.ph/pxd1Y \|archive-date=10 Nov 2024 \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=Twingate}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Spring \|first=Tom \|date=27 Dec 2017 \|title=Leaky RootsWeb Server Exposes Some Ancestry.com User Data \|url=https://threatpost.com/leaky-rootsweb-server-exposes-some-ancestry-com-user-data/129248/ \|archive-url=https://archive.ph/XP0Ch \|archive-date=7 Jan 2026 \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=threatpost}}</ref> The company published a security update on its official website, which is now unavailable, stating that it temporarily shut down RootsWeb and locked all compromised Ancestry accounts, requiring users to change their passwords.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Blackham \|first=Tony \|date=23 Dec 2017 \|title=RootsWeb Security Update \|url=https://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2017/12/23/rootsweb-security-update/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227232406/https://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2017/12/23/rootsweb-security-update/ \|archive-date=27 Dec 2017 \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=Ancestry}}</ref> Below is part of the full statement:<blockquote>We want to share an important security update with you.

	Last Wednesday, December 20, Ancestry’s Information Security Team received a message from a security researcher indicating that he had found a file containing email addresses/username and password combinations as well as user names from a RootsWeb.com server. Our Information Security Team reviewed the details of this file, and confirmed that it contains information related to users of Rootsweb’s surname list information, a service we retired earlier this year. For those of you who are unfamiliar, RootsWeb is a free community-driven collection of tools that are used by some people to host and share genealogical information. Ancestry has been hosting dedicated RootsWeb servers as a favor to the community since 2000. Importantly, RootsWeb does not host sensitive information like credit card numbers or social security numbers, and is not supported by the same infrastructure as Ancestry’s other brands. We are in the process of informing all impacted customers and will also be working with regulators and law enforcement as appropriate.		Last Wednesday, December 20, Ancestry’s Information Security Team received a message from a security researcher indicating that he had found a file containing email addresses/username and password combinations as well as user names from a RootsWeb.com server. Our Information Security Team reviewed the details of this file, and confirmed that it contains information related to users of Rootsweb’s surname list information, a service we retired earlier this year. For those of you who are unfamiliar, RootsWeb is a free community-driven collection of tools that are used by some people to host and share genealogical information. Ancestry has been hosting dedicated RootsWeb servers as a favor to the community since 2000. Importantly, RootsWeb does not host sensitive information like credit card numbers or social security numbers, and is not supported by the same infrastructure as Ancestry’s other brands. We are in the process of informing all impacted customers and will also be working with regulators and law enforcement as appropriate.

BobSagetFan1212: added archive link with archive date

2026-01-07T21:04:45Z

added archive link with archive date

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:04, 7 January 2026
Line 27:		Line 27:

	===Cancellation policy===		===Cancellation policy===
	Ancestry.com may charge a cancellation fee for "Subscriptions Longer than a Month, Billed Monthly" if users do not cancel within the first 14 days.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2 Dec 2025 \|title=Ancestry Renewal and Cancellation Terms \|url=https://www.ancestry.com/c/legal/renewal-cancellation-terms \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251011193700/https://www.ancestry.com/c/legal/renewal-cancellation-terms \|archive-date=11 Oct 2025 \|access-date=2025-02-05 \|website=Ancestry}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|date=26 Jun 2023 \|title=Cancelation fee ? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/AncestryDNA/comments/14jqeu9/cancelation_fee/ \|url-status=live \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=Reddit \|via=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>		Ancestry.com may charge a cancellation fee for "Subscriptions Longer than a Month, Billed Monthly" if users do not cancel within the first 14 days.<ref>{{cite web \|date=2 Dec 2025 \|title=Ancestry Renewal and Cancellation Terms \|url=https://www.ancestry.com/c/legal/renewal-cancellation-terms \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251011193700/https://www.ancestry.com/c/legal/renewal-cancellation-terms \|archive-date=11 Oct 2025 \|access-date=2025-02-05 \|website=Ancestry}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|date=26 Jun 2023 \|title=Cancelation fee ? \|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/AncestryDNA/comments/14jqeu9/cancelation_fee/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://archive.ph/cUe64 \|archive-date=7 Jan 2026 \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=Reddit \|via=[[Reddit]]}}</ref>

	<blockquote>		<blockquote>
Line 41:		Line 41:

	===Data Breach (2015)===		===Data Breach (2015)===
	RootsWeb, an Ancestry service, suffered a significant data breach: a file containing the access data of 297.8 thousand users has been publicly accessible on their server from November 2015 to December 2017.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Ancestry \|url=https://haveibeenpwned.com/breach/Ancestry \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=haveibeenpwned.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|date=22 Feb 2024 \|title=What happened in the Ancestry data breach? \|url=https://www.twingate.com/blog/tips/ancestry-data-breach \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=Twingate}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Spring \|first=Tom \|date=27 Dec 2017 \|title=Leaky RootsWeb Server Exposes Some Ancestry.com User Data \|url=https://threatpost.com/leaky-rootsweb-server-exposes-some-ancestry-com-user-data/129248/ \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=threatpost}}</ref> The company published a security update on the official website, now unavailable, stating that they temporarely shut down RootsWeb and locked all the compromised Ancestry accounts, requiring users to change their passwords.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Blackham \|first=Tony \|date=23 Dec 2017 \|title=RootsWeb Security Update \|url=https://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2017/12/23/rootsweb-security-update/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227232406/https://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2017/12/23/rootsweb-security-update/ \|archive-date=27 Dec 2017 \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=Ancestry}}</ref> Below is part of the full statement:<blockquote>We want to share an important security update with you.		RootsWeb, an Ancestry service, suffered a significant data breach: a file containing the access data of 297.8 thousand users has been publicly accessible on their server from November 2015 to December 2017.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=Ancestry \|url=https://haveibeenpwned.com/breach/Ancestry \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://archive.ph/mgqKd \|archive-date=7 Jan 2026 \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=haveibeenpwned.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|date=22 Feb 2024 \|title=What happened in the Ancestry data breach? \|url=https://www.twingate.com/blog/tips/ancestry-data-breach \|archive-url=https://archive.ph/pxd1Y \|archive-date=10 Nov 2024 \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=Twingate}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web \|last=Spring \|first=Tom \|date=27 Dec 2017 \|title=Leaky RootsWeb Server Exposes Some Ancestry.com User Data \|url=https://threatpost.com/leaky-rootsweb-server-exposes-some-ancestry-com-user-data/129248/ \|archive-url=https://archive.ph/XP0Ch \|archive-date=7 Jan 2026 \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=threatpost}}</ref> The company published a security update on the official website, now unavailable, stating that they temporarely shut down RootsWeb and locked all the compromised Ancestry accounts, requiring users to change their passwords.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Blackham \|first=Tony \|date=23 Dec 2017 \|title=RootsWeb Security Update \|url=https://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2017/12/23/rootsweb-security-update/ \|url-status=live \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227232406/https://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2017/12/23/rootsweb-security-update/ \|archive-date=27 Dec 2017 \|access-date=9 Aug 2025 \|website=Ancestry}}</ref> Below is part of the full statement:<blockquote>We want to share an important security update with you.

	Last Wednesday, December 20, Ancestry’s Information Security Team received a message from a security researcher indicating that he had found a file containing email addresses/username and password combinations as well as user names from a RootsWeb.com server. Our Information Security Team reviewed the details of this file, and confirmed that it contains information related to users of Rootsweb’s surname list information, a service we retired earlier this year. For those of you who are unfamiliar, RootsWeb is a free community-driven collection of tools that are used by some people to host and share genealogical information. Ancestry has been hosting dedicated RootsWeb servers as a favor to the community since 2000. Importantly, RootsWeb does not host sensitive information like credit card numbers or social security numbers, and is not supported by the same infrastructure as Ancestry’s other brands. We are in the process of informing all impacted customers and will also be working with regulators and law enforcement as appropriate.		Last Wednesday, December 20, Ancestry’s Information Security Team received a message from a security researcher indicating that he had found a file containing email addresses/username and password combinations as well as user names from a RootsWeb.com server. Our Information Security Team reviewed the details of this file, and confirmed that it contains information related to users of Rootsweb’s surname list information, a service we retired earlier this year. For those of you who are unfamiliar, RootsWeb is a free community-driven collection of tools that are used by some people to host and share genealogical information. Ancestry has been hosting dedicated RootsWeb servers as a favor to the community since 2000. Importantly, RootsWeb does not host sensitive information like credit card numbers or social security numbers, and is not supported by the same infrastructure as Ancestry’s other brands. We are in the process of informing all impacted customers and will also be working with regulators and law enforcement as appropriate.