Terms & Conditions

1 Introduction

These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") form a legally binding agreement between you ("User", "you") and FamilyTree Nigeria Ltd ("FamilyTree", "we", "us", "our"), governing your access to and use of the FamilyTree platform, including the website at familytreeapp.com.ng, the web application accessible at app.familytreeapp.com.ng, and any associated mobile applications, APIs, or other digital services (collectively, the "Service").

By registering for an account, clicking "I agree", or otherwise accessing or using any part of the Service, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated herein by reference.

2 Eligibility

To use the Service, you must:

• Be at least 13 years of age. Users between 13 and 18 must have parental or guardian consent.
• Have the legal capacity to enter into a binding agreement under the laws applicable to you.
• Not be barred from receiving the Service under applicable law.
• Provide accurate, truthful registration information.

By using the Service, you represent and warrant that you meet all of the above eligibility requirements. We reserve the right to refuse service to any person or entity at our sole discretion.

3 Your Account

3.1 Account Registration

To access most features, you must create an account using a valid email address and a secure password. You agree to provide accurate and complete information during registration and to keep this information current.

3.2 Account Security

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities that occur under your account. You agree to:

• Use a strong, unique password and keep it confidential
• Immediately notify us at support@familytreeapp.com.ng if you suspect any unauthorised access to your account
• Not share your account with any third party
• Not create multiple accounts to circumvent any limitations or restrictions

We are not liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to protect your account credentials.

3.3 One Account Per Person

Each registered account is intended for use by a single individual. Organisations seeking multi-user access should contact us about our Heritage or enterprise plans.

4 Acceptable Use

The Service is provided to help you build, preserve, and explore your genuine family history. You agree to use the Service only for lawful, personal, and non-commercial purposes unless a commercial licence has been expressly granted by us.

4.1 You Must Not:

• Use the Service to submit false, fabricated, or fraudulent genealogical data for deceptive purposes
• Upload, transmit, or distribute any content that is unlawful, defamatory, obscene, abusive, harassing, or invasive of another's privacy
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to any part of the Service, its servers, or any connected system or network
• Use automated tools (bots, scrapers, crawlers) to access, extract, or interact with the Service without our express written permission
• Reverse engineer, decompile, or attempt to derive the source code of any part of the Service
• Upload malware, viruses, or any code designed to disrupt, damage, or impair the Service
• Use the Service to collect or harvest other users' personal data without their consent
• Impersonate another person, entity, or FamilyTree representative
• Circumvent or attempt to circumvent any access controls, subscription limits, or security features
• Re-sell, sublicense, or commercially exploit any part of the Service without written authorisation

Violation of these rules may result in immediate suspension or termination of your account without notice, and we reserve the right to take appropriate legal action.

5 Your Content

5.1 Ownership

You retain full ownership of the content you create, upload, or input into the Service, including your family tree data, photos, documents, and stories ("User Content"). We do not claim any ownership over your User Content.

5.2 Licence to Us

By submitting User Content to the Service, you grant FamilyTree Nigeria Ltd a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to store, process, display, and back up your User Content solely for the purpose of operating and improving the Service for you. This licence does not grant us the right to use your User Content for marketing, advertising, or any purpose other than delivering the Service.

5.3 Responsibility for Content

You are solely responsible for the accuracy, legality, and appropriateness of all User Content you submit. You warrant that:

• You have the right to submit any content you upload, including photos and documents
• Your content does not infringe the intellectual property, privacy, or other rights of any third party
• You have obtained any necessary consents to include information about living third parties in your family tree

5.4 Content Moderation

We reserve the right (but not the obligation) to review, remove, or restrict access to User Content that we reasonably believe violates these Terms or applicable law. We will endeavour to notify you before taking such action where practicable.

5.5 Data Export

You may export your family tree data at any time in GEDCOM format or other supported formats available within the Service. We encourage you to maintain your own backups.

6 Intellectual Property

The Service — including its software, AI systems, design, interface, branding, logos, text, graphics, and all other content created by FamilyTree — is owned by or licensed to FamilyTree Nigeria Ltd and is protected by Nigerian and international copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to access and use the Service for personal, non-commercial purposes in accordance with these Terms. This licence does not include the right to:

• Copy, modify, or distribute any part of the Service
• Use our brand names, logos, or trademarks without prior written consent
• Frame or mirror any part of the Service on another website
• Use any of our proprietary AI models or algorithms independently of the Service

Any rights not expressly granted herein are reserved by FamilyTree Nigeria Ltd.

7 Subscriptions & Billing

7.1 Free Plan

We offer a free Starter plan with limited features. You may use the free plan for as long as you wish without providing payment information, subject to the applicable usage limits and these Terms.

7.2 Paid Plans

Paid subscription plans (Pro and Heritage) are billed in advance on a monthly or yearly basis as selected at the time of purchase. All prices are stated in Nigerian Naira (₦) and are inclusive of any applicable taxes unless stated otherwise.

7.3 Billing & Payment

By subscribing to a paid plan, you authorise us to charge the applicable fees to your chosen payment method on a recurring basis. If payment fails, we may suspend or downgrade your account after a reasonable notice period.

7.4 Cancellation

You may cancel your paid subscription at any time from your account settings. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period. You will continue to have access to paid features until that date. We do not provide pro-rated refunds for partial billing periods, except where required by law.

7.5 Refunds

Refunds are generally not provided for subscription fees already charged, except in the following circumstances:

• You were charged in error due to a billing fault on our part
• The Service was materially unavailable for an extended period due to our fault (as determined in our reasonable discretion)
• Applicable consumer protection law in your jurisdiction requires a refund

Refund requests must be submitted to support@familytreeapp.com.ng within 14 days of the relevant charge.

7.6 Price Changes

We reserve the right to change subscription prices. We will provide at least 30 days' notice of any price increase, either by email or in-app notification. Your continued subscription after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the new pricing.

7.7 Free Trials

We may offer free trials for paid plans from time to time. At the end of a free trial period, your subscription will automatically convert to a paid plan unless you cancel before the trial expires.

8 Third-Party Services & Integrations

The Service may integrate with or link to third-party services, including DNA testing providers, payment gateways, and external record databases. These third-party services are subject to their own terms and privacy policies, over which we have no control.

Your use of any third-party service is at your own risk. We are not responsible for the content, accuracy, availability, or privacy practices of any third-party service, even if it is accessible through or recommended by the FamilyTree platform.

9 Disclaimers

9.1 "As Is" Service

The Service is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, we disclaim all warranties, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.

9.2 Accuracy of AI Outputs

Our AI assistant is designed to assist you in building your family tree through natural conversation. However, AI-generated suggestions, auto-populated data, and record matches are not guaranteed to be accurate, complete, or error-free. You are responsible for verifying all information entered into your family tree. We are not liable for errors in genealogical data arising from AI processing.

9.3 Historical Records

Historical record search results are sourced from third-party databases. We do not create, verify, or guarantee the accuracy of such records. Results should be treated as suggestions requiring independent verification.

9.4 Service Availability

We strive to maintain consistent availability of the Service but do not guarantee uninterrupted access. The Service may be temporarily unavailable due to scheduled maintenance, technical issues, or circumstances beyond our control. We will endeavour to provide advance notice of planned downtime.

10 Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, FamilyTree Nigeria Ltd, its directors, employees, agents, and licensors shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including but not limited to:

• Loss of data or family tree content
• Loss of revenue or profits
• Emotional distress arising from genealogical discoveries
• Unauthorised access to your account due to your own failure to protect your credentials
• Decisions made based on AI-generated information
• Service interruptions beyond our reasonable control

In no event shall our total aggregate liability to you for all claims arising from or related to the Service exceed the greater of: (a) the total fees paid by you to FamilyTree in the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the event giving rise to the claim, or (b) ₦10,000 (Ten Thousand Naira).

Nothing in these Terms limits our liability where such limitation is prohibited by applicable Nigerian consumer protection law.

11 Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless FamilyTree Nigeria Ltd and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or in connection with:

• Your use of the Service in violation of these Terms
• User Content you submit that infringes the rights of any third party
• Your violation of any applicable law or regulation
• Any misrepresentation made by you

12 Termination

12.1 Termination by You

You may delete your account at any time from your account settings. Upon deletion, we will remove your personal data as described in our Privacy Policy. Note that once your account is deleted, recovery may not be possible.

12.2 Termination by Us

We reserve the right to suspend or permanently terminate your account, with or without notice, if:

• You breach any provision of these Terms
• Your use of the Service poses a security or legal risk to us or other users
• We are required to do so by law or regulatory authority
• We choose to discontinue the Service (with reasonable advance notice)

12.3 Effect of Termination

Upon termination, your right to use the Service ceases immediately. Sections of these Terms that by their nature should survive termination (including but not limited to Sections 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, and 13) shall remain in effect.

13 Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

These Terms are governed by and shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, without regard to its conflict of law principles.

Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service shall first be attempted to be resolved through good-faith negotiation. If unresolved within 30 days, the dispute shall be submitted to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts of Lagos State, Nigeria.

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

14 Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we make material changes, we will notify you via email and/or by posting a notice on the Service at least 14 days before the new Terms take effect.

Your continued use of the Service after the effective date of any updated Terms constitutes your acceptance of the new Terms. If you do not agree to the updated Terms, you must stop using the Service and may delete your account.

The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. We encourage you to review these Terms periodically.

15 Contact Us

If you have any questions about these Terms or wish to report a violation, please contact us: