Privacy, AI and legal notice
How personal information, AI-assisted tools, DNA evidence, images, and research limits are handled.
This notice is intended to be clear, practical, and current as at May 2026. It is not legal advice.
1. Who this notice applies to
This notice applies to genealogy, DNA analysis, family history, whakapapa, archival, and related research services provided by David A. Jack MSc QG®, trading as Kiwi Lineage Finder.
Contact: David A. Jack MSc QG®, Timaru, New Zealand. Please use the website contact page for privacy, correction, copyright, image, or takedown matters.
2. What information may be collected
Depending on the enquiry, I may collect and hold names, dates and places of birth, marriage, death, burial, residence, migration, occupation, military service, family relationships, DNA testing information, family trees, certificates, images, documents, oral history notes, correspondence, research logs, and source citations.
Some information may relate to living people. Some information may relate to deceased people but still affect living relatives, whānau, descendants, or communities.
3. Where information may come from
Information may be supplied by clients, family members, DNA matches, researchers, archives, libraries, museums, cemetery records, newspapers, public registers, online databases, family trees, social history sources, or other lawful sources.
I may collect information directly from you or indirectly from another source where that is necessary and lawful for the research purpose.
4. Privacy Act 2020 and IPP 3A
From 1 May 2026, New Zealand’s Privacy Act 2020 includes Information Privacy Principle 3A. IPP 3A applies when an agency collects personal information about an individual from someone other than that individual. Where required, reasonable steps must be taken to make the person aware of the collection and related matters, unless an exception applies.
Where I collect personal information indirectly about a living person, I will take reasonable steps, where required and practicable, to make that person aware of:
- the fact that their information has been collected
- the purpose of collection
- the intended recipients or use of the information
- my name and contact details as the collecting and holding agency
- whether collection is authorised or required by law, where applicable
- their right to request access to, or correction of, their personal information
Some exceptions may apply, including where the person is already aware, notification is not reasonably practicable, non-compliance would not prejudice the person’s interests, notification would prejudice the purpose of collection, or the information is being handled for archiving in the public interest.
5. Use and disclosure
Personal information is used for the agreed research purpose, client communication, evidence assessment, report preparation, billing, record-keeping, and professional administration.
I do not publish or disclose sensitive living-person material unless there is a proper basis to do so. Information may be disclosed where necessary to archives, repositories, professional advisers, research collaborators, or service providers, but only to the extent reasonably required.
6. Access, correction, and deletion requests
Living individuals may ask whether I hold personal information about them and may request access to, or correction of, that information under the Privacy Act 2020.
I may need to verify identity before releasing information. Access may be limited or refused where the law allows, including where disclosure would affect another person’s privacy, breach confidentiality, or disclose sensitive third-party material.
7. AI-assisted research disclosure
Analytical and drafting tools incorporating artificial intelligence may be used in a limited, governed, and human-reviewed support role. These tools may assist with structuring research plans, identifying alternative hypotheses, reviewing logical consistency, improving report clarity, and reducing repetitive drafting time.
AI does not replace professional judgement. It does not conduct my research for me, decide conclusions, or remove professional responsibility. All analysis, conclusions, interpretations, and recommendations remain my responsibility.
Where AI-assisted tools are used, data minimisation principles are applied, identifiable information is anonymised where practicable, raw DNA data files are not uploaded to third-party AI systems, sensitive material is handled in accordance with privacy and professional obligations, and AI outputs are critically reviewed before any client-facing use.
8. Research disclaimer
Genealogical findings are based on the evidence available at the time of writing and may be revised if new documentary, DNA, archival, oral, or family evidence emerges.
Consumer DNA platforms such as AncestryDNA, MyHeritage, FamilyTreeDNA, and GEDmatch are useful genealogical tools, but they do not provide formal forensic chain of custody. DNA matches, attached family trees, platform hints, and user-generated material are treated as research leads unless independently corroborated.
Most modern genealogical work is undertaken remotely. Not all records are digitised or available online, and online sources may represent only a small part of surviving archival evidence.
9. Māori whakapapa and culturally sensitive material
Māori whakapapa, whāngai, land, succession, iwi, hapū, and whānau recognition matters require care. Legal and archival records may not fully reflect tikanga, oral history, lived relationships, or community knowledge.
DNA evidence may assist with some biological relationship questions, but it does not by itself determine whakapapa standing, cultural belonging, legal entitlement, or tikanga-based relationships.
10. Copyright, images, and supplied material
Clients and contributors are asked to supply images, documents, trees, stories, and research notes in good faith and to identify the source, creator, permission status, restrictions, and any living-person or cultural sensitivity concerns.
Old, online, or widely shared material is not automatically free to reuse. Copyright may belong to a photographer, publisher, estate, archive, donor, employer, or other rights holder.
If you believe material has been used without permission, lacks proper attribution, contains an error, or should be restricted or removed, please contact me with the page URL, the item concerned, your relationship to the material, and the action requested.
11. Security and retention
I take reasonable steps to protect client information from loss, unauthorised access, misuse, or disclosure. Research records may be retained where needed for professional accountability, source citation, legal, tax, business, or client-history purposes.
Where information is no longer required, it may be securely deleted, archived, anonymised, or retained in a limited professional record depending on the nature of the matter.
Interim status
This notice is a practical May 2026 update for a professional genealogy practice. It should be reviewed periodically and after any major legal, platform, or practice change. For formal legal advice, consult a New Zealand privacy or intellectual property lawyer.
Last updated: 7 May 2026.