The Register

Terms of Service

Last updated: 20 August 2026

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of The Register (the "Service"), a family tree and family history platform. By creating an account or otherwise using the Service, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.

1. Who can use the Service

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account. By registering, you confirm that the information you provide — your name, phone number, and optional email address — is accurate and that you are authorised to use the phone number you register with.

2. Your account

  • Registration requires a valid Safaricom phone number, which we verify by sending a one-time code (OTP) via SMS. You must confirm this code before you can use the Service.
  • You are responsible for keeping your password confidential and for all activity that happens under your account.
  • Password resets are also handled by phone OTP rather than email, so keep your registered phone number up to date.
  • We may suspend or disable an account — with a reason recorded against it — where we reasonably believe these Terms have been broken, the account is being used fraudulently, or its continued use risks harming the Service or other users. We will make reasonable efforts to explain why if you contact us.

3. What the Service does

The Register lets you:

  • Build one or more family trees: add relatives ("persons"), record relationships (parents, spouses, children), and note life events, dates, and places.
  • Maintain a family timeline of stories, with photos, videos, and documents attached where your plan allows it.
  • Invite other people to collaborate on a tree you own, as a viewer (read-only) or editor (can add and change entries).

4. Content you add

  • Much of what you record — names, dates, photos, and stories about relatives — concerns people other than yourself, including people who have passed away. You are responsible for having the right to record and share this information, and for its accuracy.
  • You keep ownership of the content you add. By adding it, you give us the licence we need to store, process, and display it back to you and to the collaborators you invite, for the purpose of running the Service.
  • Don't upload content you don't have the right to share, content that infringes someone else's rights, or content that is unlawful, defamatory, or abusive.
  • If you invite someone as a collaborator, they will be able to see the tree (and, if given editor access, change it) according to the role you assign them. Removing a collaborator revokes their access going forward.

5. Subscriptions and billing

  • The Register offers a free tier and paid subscription plans (currently billed monthly or yearly) with different limits on the number of trees, people per tree, storage, and whether story videos or documents are allowed. Current plan details and pricing are shown on the Billing page.
  • Payment is by M-Pesa — either an STK push prompt to your phone, or by paying our paybill directly and confirming the transaction with the M-Pesa receipt number. We do not collect or store card numbers.
  • M-Pesa STK push is not a recurring or auto-debit payment. We do not automatically charge you when your subscription is due for renewal — you'll need to make a new payment to renew or upgrade. If your paid plan lapses, your account reverts to the free plan's limits; your existing trees and data are not deleted.
  • Subscription fees are for access to expanded limits during the paid period and are non-refundable except where required by law.

6. Acceptable use

You agree not to:

  • Use the Service to harass, impersonate, or violate the privacy of others;
  • Attempt to gain unauthorised access to other users' accounts, trees, or data;
  • Interfere with or disrupt the Service (including its SMS or payment integrations) or attempt to circumvent its security;
  • Use the Service for any unlawful purpose.

7. Availability and changes

We aim to keep the Service available and reliable, but we don't guarantee uninterrupted access — features depend in part on third-party services (SMS delivery and M-Pesa payment processing) that are outside our control. We may add, change, or remove features, and may update these Terms, from time to time; we'll post the updated Terms here with a new "Last updated" date. Continuing to use the Service after a change means you accept the updated Terms.

8. Disclaimer and limitation of liability

The Service is provided "as is." To the fullest extent permitted by law, we are not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from your use of the Service, including loss of data, loss of access due to a suspended account, or the accuracy of family information entered by you or other users.

9. Termination

You may stop using the Service at any time. We may suspend or terminate your access for breach of these Terms, as described in Section 2. If you'd like your account and associated data deleted, contact us using the details below — see our Privacy Policy for more on how we handle deletion requests.

10. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of Kenya. Any dispute arising from these Terms or your use of the Service will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Kenya.

11. Contact

Questions about these Terms? Contact us at support@familyroots.co.ke.

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