Ordo Elevatum LLC ("ProofTrail," "we," "our," or "us") operates ProofTrail, an evidence-first genealogy investigation, education, and professional-marketplace platform available at prooftrail.net and supported applications (the "Service"). This Privacy Policy explains the categories of information we process, why we process it, the categories of recipients with whom it may be shared, retention practices, and privacy rights.
For account administration, billing, security, platform operations, marketing preferences, Academy records, and marketplace administration, Ordo Elevatum LLC generally determines the purposes and means of processing and acts as the controller or business where those concepts apply. For case content that a user or professional uploads and directs ProofTrail to store, analyze, organize, or share, ProofTrail may act primarily as a service provider or processor on that user's instructions where applicable law recognizes that role. The exact legal role depends on the processing activity and applicable law.
Account & Identity Information:
Research & Case Content You Upload:
Technical & Usage Information:
Payment Information:
We collect subscription payment status. Actual payment processing is handled by trusted third-party providers (see Payments section below). We do not store complete credit card numbers.
ProofTrail is designed to handle genealogy and research information that can be highly sensitive. Depending on what a user voluntarily enters or imports, this may include genealogy DNA match metadata, racial or ethnic origin, biological parentage, adoption information, immigration or citizenship information, religious information, health-related information, precise location contained in records, information about minors, and other information about living individuals.
ProofTrail is not a genetic testing or genome sequencing service. ProofTrail does not collect biological samples, perform laboratory testing, sequence genomes, generate genotype data, or accept raw genotype files for DNA Profiles. Its DNA tools organize and analyze genealogy match/comparison information already produced by third-party testing platforms, including names, shared cM, relationship estimates, segment counts, chromosome/position metadata, shared-match information, and comparison or match-list reports.
ProofTrail does not require users to provide every category listed above. We limit our processing to information reasonably necessary for the features and purposes the user chooses. Where applicable law requires consent for ProofTrail's processing of sensitive data, ProofTrail obtains an affirmative authorization through the relevant feature or another valid consent mechanism before the affected processing begins.
Users who submit information about another person must have the legal authority, consent, or other lawful basis required to provide and direct the processing of that information. DNA-profile workflows include a separate authorization attestation. ProofTrail does not independently verify every source or third-party authorization and may suspend or remove content when we receive a credible legal or privacy complaint.
Imported DNA evidence must be a genealogy match list, comparison report, segment report, screenshot, PDF, spreadsheet, or similar research output from a testing or comparison platform. Raw genotype downloads and biological samples are outside the scope of the Service.
We process personal information only for disclosed and reasonably necessary purposes, including to:
ProofTrail includes AI-powered features that may analyze your uploaded content to:
Important: AI-generated content is provided as research assistance only and may contain errors, omissions, or inaccuracies. Users remain solely responsible for independently verifying all conclusions, findings, and interpretations. ProofTrail does not guarantee genealogical conclusions, biological relationships, investigative findings, or research outcomes.
Subscription and marketplace-related payments are processed by third-party payment providers, including Square and, where applicable, supported app-distribution payment systems such as Google Play. Professional client research payments may be processed directly to the professional's connected Square seller account. These providers process payment and transaction information under their own terms and privacy practices.
ProofTrail does not store complete credit card or payment account information. We retain only subscription status, plan type, and transaction identifiers necessary to manage your account.
User-Controlled Recipients: Authorized users may direct ProofTrail to disclose case information to collaborating investigators, clients, team members, or a hired marketplace professional. Permissions are scoped to the sharing choices and access controls selected by the case owner or other authorized administrator.
Processors and Service Providers: ProofTrail currently relies on Base44 for core application hosting, database services, identity/authentication, file storage, server-side functions, and platform integrations. User-requested AI features are routed through Base44's Core AI integration and may provide the AI service infrastructure selected by Base44 with the specific case, document, or genealogy match/comparison information needed for that request. ProofTrail uses Resend directly for certain account, invitation, retention, contact, newsletter, and marketing emails, and also uses Base44's Core email integration for certain transactional and marketplace communications. Square processes ProofTrail subscriptions, Academy payments where enabled, Professional Directory subscriptions, and professional seller connections/client payments. Supported app-distribution providers such as Google Play may process store or distribution information when applicable. We limit disclosures to the information reasonably necessary for the requested service and require service providers to process information under applicable contractual, confidentiality, and security obligations.
Analytics and Diagnostics: ProofTrail currently records product/conversion events primarily inside its Base44-hosted application data rather than sending those events to a separate third-party advertising analytics network. If ProofTrail later activates a new external analytics, advertising, or tracking provider that materially changes these practices, we will update this Policy and provide any choice or consent required by applicable law.
Payment Providers: Square and other supported payment or app-distribution providers process payment information under their own terms and privacy practices. ProofTrail receives limited transaction, subscription, seller-connection, and status information needed to operate the Service.
Legal, Safety, and Business Protection: We may preserve or disclose information when reasonably necessary to comply with binding legal process or law, respond to valid governmental requests, establish or defend legal claims, investigate fraud or abuse, protect platform security, or protect the rights and safety of users and others.
No Sale or Cross-Service Targeted Advertising: ProofTrail does not sell personal data as "sale" is defined by applicable comprehensive privacy laws and does not currently process personal data for targeted advertising based on activity across unaffiliated services. If those practices materially change, we will provide any notice, consent, and opt-out mechanism required by applicable law before the new processing applies.
ProofTrail applies different retention periods according to the purpose of the record rather than keeping all information for the same period. Active genealogy case content is retained while you use the Service and is removed or anonymized through the permanent-deletion workflow when eligible.
Case and research content: owned genealogy cases, DNA match/comparison records, evidence records, reports, transcriptions, captures, research notes, ordinary profile/preferences, and transient professional messages are deleted at the application level when permanent account deletion is processed, except where a specific record must be preserved for a documented legal purpose.
Financial, contractual, and professional-integrity records: ProofTrail may retain a minimum pseudonymized record of payments, orders, accepted professional-service terms, disputes, billing events, credentials, and marketplace-integrity decisions for up to seven years after account closure when reasonably necessary for accounting, tax substantiation, refunds or chargebacks, credential integrity, fraud prevention, or legal claims. A legal hold or specific law may require a different period. Direct profile content and unnecessary free-text information are removed rather than retained merely because an underlying transaction record is preserved.
Privacy and security records: pseudonymized privacy-request completion and security/audit evidence are ordinarily retained for up to two years after final resolution unless a legal hold or other legal requirement applies.
Backups: ProofTrail's backup metadata uses a 30-day operational retention window and backup execution metadata uses a 90-day operational window. Where the infrastructure provider does not expose physical file deletion to the application, an expired private backup file object is placed into the administrator provider-deletion queue before its local metadata is removed.
Provider-level deletion: when the current application cannot physically delete a Base44 authentication identity or provider file object, ProofTrail creates a tracked provider-deletion request. We do not represent deletion as fully completed until the provider-level work has been verified. The provider-deletion record is then pseudonymized and retained for a limited compliance period.
Depending on your location and the law that applies, you may have rights to confirm whether we process your personal data, access it, correct inaccuracies, delete eligible personal data, obtain a portable copy, and opt out of qualifying targeted advertising, sale, or certain profiling. You may also have rights to withdraw consent or restrict particular sensitive-data processing where applicable.
You may submit a request through the Privacy Center while signed in or by emailing tori.ralston@prooftrail.net. We may verify your identity and authority before acting on a request, particularly where disclosure or deletion could expose another person's information.
Texas requests: For authenticated requests covered by the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act, we respond without undue delay and ordinarily no later than 45 days after receipt. When reasonably necessary, we may extend the response period once for up to 45 additional days and will provide notice and the reason for the extension within the initial period. Requests are ordinarily free up to the frequency required by law.
Appeals: If we decline a privacy request, we will provide the reason and instructions for appealing. You may submit an appeal through the Privacy Center or by email. If a Texas appeal is denied, we will provide information about how to submit a privacy complaint to the Texas Attorney General.
ProofTrail will not unlawfully discriminate against a person for exercising an applicable privacy right.
We maintain administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, loss, and destruction. Safeguards include authenticated access, scoped case permissions, service-side authorization checks for sensitive workflows, audit records, and other controls appropriate to the nature of the Service. No system can be guaranteed absolutely secure.
ProofTrail maintains an incident-response process for investigating suspected security incidents, preserving evidence, containing unauthorized access, assessing legal notification duties, and notifying affected individuals or regulators when required by applicable law.
You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account credentials and for promptly notifying us if you suspect unauthorized access.
ProofTrail accounts are not intended for children under 13, and we do not knowingly permit a child under 13 to create an account. A user under the age of legal majority must have authorization from a parent or legal guardian as described in our Terms. Professional marketplace providers must be at least 18 years old.
Genealogy cases may contain information about minors when an authorized user lawfully submits it for research. Information about a child under 13 can be sensitive data under applicable privacy law and should be uploaded only when the user has appropriate authority and the processing is necessary for the research purpose. If you believe a child created an unauthorized account or information about a child is being processed unlawfully, contact us immediately.
ProofTrail may use essential cookies, browser storage, session storage, and similar technologies to maintain authentication, security, interface preferences, onboarding state, referral attribution, and core application functionality. We may also use limited analytics or diagnostic technologies to understand service performance. Where applicable law requires consent for a non-essential technology, we will provide the required choice before using it.
Where applicable law requires recognition of a valid universal opt-out preference signal for a processing activity ProofTrail actually performs, ProofTrail will honor that signal as required. Because ProofTrail does not currently sell personal data or use personal data for cross-service targeted advertising, such a signal ordinarily does not change those practices today.
ProofTrail may contain links to third-party websites or services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those third parties. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before submitting any personal information.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you by email or within the Service. When ProofTrail requires explicit re-acknowledgment of a materially revised Privacy Policy or acceptance of revised Terms, the Service records the document versions and acceptance time before protected use continues.
If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact us:
Ordo Elevatum LLC
Product: ProofTrail
Website: https://prooftrail.net
Email: tori.ralston@prooftrail.net