Cookies notice

Last updated: 31 October 2026

This notice explains how Banyan (“we”), a family-tree application owned and operated by S.J Consulting Group Asia, uses cookies and similar technologies on our website. Operator site: https://sjconsultinggroup.com/en. Read this together with our Privacy notice and Terms of use.

This notice is a product notice for the live application. Have counsel review it before a public or commercial launch if your markets require a cookie preference centre.

1. What are cookies?

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a site. We also use related technologies such as local storage and session storage for similar purposes (together, “cookies” in this notice).

2. Why we use them

Keep you signed in so you can open your private family trees (essential)
Protect forms against cross-site request forgery (essential security)
Remember choices such as tree layout on this device (functional)
Load third-party pieces you choose to use, such as Google sign-in or map tiles (functional / third-party)
Understand basic reliability of the host if diagnostics are enabled later (analytics — optional if added)

3. Types we use

3.1 Essential

Required for Banyan to work. Examples:

Session cookie — keeps you signed in after phone or Google sign-in; marked HTTP-only, SameSite=Lax, and Secure when the site is served over HTTPS
CSRF / security token — tied to your session so form posts come from Banyan pages you are using
Flash / one-time messages — short-lived session values so we can show “Saved” or error text after a redirect
Stay signed in (banyan_stay) — keeps you signed in for up to 30 days when you tick the box. HTTP-only, Secure on HTTPS, and removed when you sign out

These cannot be switched off in-product without breaking sign-in, invites, or saving a person.

3.2 Functional

Tree layout preference — stored in local storage on your device (for example top-to-bottom, across, or fan) so the tree opens the way you left it
Text size and contrast (banyan_text, banyan_contrast) — remember your reading choices on this device; also saved to your account when you are signed in
Language (banyan_lang) — remembers the language you chose on this device, or the language of a page you opened by its language address (such as /hi/); when you are signed in it is also saved to your account
Returning visitor (banyan_returning) — remembers that you have signed in before, so Banyan opens Sign in instead of the welcome page
Device memory (local storage) — tree layout, Family card or Whole chart on phones, which branches you folded on the chart, whether the overview map is shown or hidden, when you chose “Later” on a prompt, and whether this device has already seen the “Banyan was updated” note or the text-size tip. None of this contains family details, and it never leaves your device
Offline page — if you add Banyan to your home screen, your device keeps a copy of a small “You are offline” page. No family content is stored this way

If you clear site data, layout may reset to the default until you choose again.

3.3 Third-party when you use a feature

Cloudflare — carries traffic to Banyan and runs the human check on sign-in pages; it may set its own security cookies
Google sign-in — when the site operator has enabled Google and you click Continue with Google or Create account with Google, Google may set its own cookies on Google’s domains under Google’s terms
Stripe — when you subscribe, Stripe’s checkout and billing pages may set cookies on Stripe’s domains under Stripe’s terms. Banyan does not store your card number
Map tiles — the map view may request tiles from OpenStreetMap or similar providers; those requests can include your IP address under the tile provider’s terms
Fonts and flag images — may be loaded from content delivery networks so pages render consistently

We do not use those third parties to sell advertising profiles inside Banyan.

3.4 Analytics and marketing

Banyan’s core product does not currently rely on third-party advertising cookies. If we add aggregated analytics or marketing cookies later, we will update this notice and, where required, ask for consent before optional categories load.

4. Duration

Session — ends when you sign out or after 8 hours without activity
Stay signed in — up to 30 days
Text size, contrast, language, and returning visitor — about a year
Persistent local storage — remains until you clear site data for Banyan
Third-party cookies — follow each provider’s own lifetime

5. Your choices

Browser settings: block or delete cookies and site data. Blocking essential cookies will prevent sign-in
Sign out of Banyan on shared devices
Clear local storage for this site if you want layout preferences reset
Skip Google sign-in and use name and phone instead, if you prefer not to use Google’s cookies for that step
If we later offer an in-product cookie preference centre for markets that require it, optional categories will be controllable there

6. Philippines and other places

Under the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and similar rules elsewhere, we process cookie-related data with a lawful basis — often legitimate interests or necessity for essential/security cookies, and consent for non-essential categories when that is required. See the Privacy notice for your rights of access, correction and complaint.

7. Copyright notice in relation to cookies tooling

Banyan and this Cookies notice are part of the Banyan product owned and operated by S.J Consulting Group Asia. © 2026 Banyan. Unauthorised scraping of family content or bulk harvesting of accounts via automated clients is prohibited under our Terms, whether or not cookies are accepted.

8. Changes

We may update this notice when our cookie use changes. The “Last updated” date will reflect the latest version.

9. Contact

Operator: S.J Consulting Group Asia — https://sjconsultinggroup.com/en
Questions: [email protected]
Related: Privacy · Terms