How to Cancel & Delete your Ancestry Account
You gave Ancestry.com a try, maybe it helped you find what you were looking for, but maybe it didn’t. In any case, you don’t want all that personal information, not to mention your DNA data, lying around indefinitely.
The good news is that the account deletion process will automatically—and irretrievably—mark your DNA sample for destruction (if you submitted a sample) and delete your private data, including your DNA data if applicable.
There are many reasons for wanting to delete an Ancestry account. If privacy is one of yours, then you’ll want to get your personal data out of the hands of the potentially hundreds of data brokers that could have it. Let Incogni’s automated data removal service keep your personal information private.
Opt-out process: 5 – 10 minutes
Removal Requirements: Email
Updated: August 30, 2022
How to delete Ancestry account
In short:
- Start the account deletion process at http://ancestry.com/secure/account/delete
- Carefully read the warning
- Choose a reason for wanting to delete your account
- Check your email for a verification code
- Complete the account deletion process
Keep reading to read the full, step-by-step tutorial.
Want to learn more about data broker removal? We wrote ~85 data broker opt out guides. Check them out and remove your data.
Removing your data doesn’t have to be complicated
It’s easy for data brokers to find and sell your most sensitive information. Taking your data off the market should be just as easy! For just $6.49 per month, Incogni sends out hundreds of recurring opt-out requests*.
Don’t waste any more time opting out one by one. Let us deal with data brokers, so you don’t have to!
Use DATA-REMOVAL-APR at checkout to get an additional 10% discount.
* See the full list of data brokers Incogni covers here.
How to delete an Ancestry account, step by step
Total Time: 10 minutes
1) Start the account deletion process at http://ancestry.com/secure/account/delete
Go to the account deletion page, type in your username or email and password, and click “sign in.”
Verify your Ancestry password if prompted and click “continue.”
2) Carefully read the warning
Click on “next step” to confirm that you’ve read and understood the warning informing you that you’re about to delete everything and lose access to your account.
3) Choose a reason for wanting to delete your account
This screen is your last chance to download your data if you haven’t done so already. You can also downgrade to a free subscription to maintain access to your account with limited features.
Select a reason for deleting your account and click “next step.”
4) Check your email for a verification code
You will receive a verification code via email. Make sure you’re checking the email that’s associated with your Ancestry account.
5) Complete the account deletion process
Copy and paste the email verification code into the “confirm account delete” pop-up. Click “delete account” to complete the process.
You’ll receive a confirmation email letting you know that your deletion request has been successfully submitted.
6) Continue your data removal journey!
You’ve made the proactive move of getting your personal data off Ancestry.com, but don’t stop there if you want to protect your privacy online.
Ancestry got your data through your paid subscription and opt-in participation in the site. There are hundreds of other companies that may have your data. You might have never even heard of these companies or opted into their data collection programs.
Companies that deal in your personal information are called data brokers and you’re not powerless to stop them from making a quick buck while putting your privacy at risk. We have detailed opt-out guides for the biggest data brokers in the US, so you can remove your data from them one by one.
Or you can start from these 10 guides:
- NJ parcels Opt Out
- Radaris Opt Out
- Innovis Opt Out
- Public Records Now Opt Out
- BlockShopper Opt Out
- Background Alert Opt Out
- Addresses.com Opt Out
- AnyWho Opt Out
- WhitePages Premium Opt Out
- GoLookUp Opt Out
- Zoominfo Opt Out
- Intelius Opt Out
- MyLife.com Opt Out
- Instant Checkmate Opt Out
- Spokeo Opt Out
- Peoplefinders Opt Out
- Voterrecords Opt Out
- ClustrMaps Opt Out
- FastBackgroundCheck Opt Out
- Nuwber Opt Out
- 411 com Opt Out
Or let Incogni handle the whole journey, from finding the right data brokers and submitting opt-out requests on your behalf to dealing with any additional hoops, responses, and rejections. Incogni is an automated data removal service: all you have to do is sign up and let us handle the rest.
Take your data off PSS and hundreds* of data brokers with Incogni
Your data is worth more than oil in the digital age and data brokers are making bank at your expense.
Subscribe to Incogni for just $6.49 per month and get:
- A fully automated data removal service
- Recurring removal from 159+ data brokers
- Regular progress reports
Use DATA-REMOVAL-APR at checkout to get an additional 10% discount.
* See the full list of data brokers Incogni covers here.
Companies don’t need your DNA data to profile you
You set up an Ancestry account and sent them a DNA sample, but there are hundreds of data brokers you’ve never heard of that could have profiles on you. They might not have your DNA but they may well have the digital equivalent.
Sign up to Incogni and we’ll find which companies are dealing in your personal information, complete the opt-out process for each of them on your behalf, and periodically check back to make sure your data stays off their databases.
FAQ
What is Ancestry?
Ancestry.com is a US-based genealogy company, the largest for-profit company of its kind in the world. It claims access to over 30 billion records as of 2022. Ancestry.com helps people piece together their family trees and learn about their relatives and ancestors.
AncestryDNA, a subsidiary of Ancestry.com, offers basic DNA analysis and matching services. Once a customer sends in their DNA sample (using an AncestryDNA kit), they can receive possible leads as to their ethnic origins and contemporary genetic matches.
There are many potential risks in leaving DNA data with a private company. Company policies change with little notice, whole companies change hands, and data breaches happen all the time. DNA data that might be of limited value now can become extremely valuable in the near future.
How long does it take Ancestry to delete my account?
Your account should be deleted within 30 days of your account deletion request being confirmed. Contact Ancestry customer support if it’s still there after this time.
When will Ancestry delete my information?
Ancestry will delete your information as soon as it deletes your account. This should happen within 30 days of submitting your deletion request.
How does Ancestry get its information?
Ancestry gets its historical and genealogical information through a combination of public and private sources; from public records to private databases and archives. Ancestry also gets information from its users on an opt-in basis.
What happens if I change my mind and want to rejoin Ancestry?
You can always rejoin Ancestry with a registered guest account or paid subscription. Your data will have been permanently deleted, though. You can re-upload any family trees you downloaded before deleting your account, although any files or stories on those trees will be lost.
You can download your raw DNA data before deleting your Ancestry account, but you can’t then upload that data to a new account—you’d have to order and complete a new DNA kit.
Is Ancestry.com legit?
Yes, Ancestry operates within applicable laws and regulations. It’s also obligated to adhere to data privacy laws like the CCPA.
This means you have the right to request to know and delete any personal data Ancestry has on you, depending on your location.
Is Ancestry.com owned by the Mormon Church?
No, there’s no evidence to suggest that Ancestry.com has ever been owned or controlled by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
