Genealogy Chat

I accidentally came across a genealogy site called GENI and could not believe my eyes when my whole family appeared on it - together with a child I have never had and other mistakes. Now the point is I have nev er ever put my tree online specifically as I wish to keep it private although I will supply info to relevant researchers. On this site it gives the name of the person who inputted the tree (whose name means nothing to me) but when you click on it to contact the person to discuss the matter, you are taken immediately to a 'join/register box. I have no desire to join this site so searched for a contact us or email address to get in touch direct with Geni. Nowhere can i find one. I want my details taken off this persons tree - it is a family I was once married into - even my grandchildren are on there ! It is full of living persons and I am extremely unhappy about this. Has anyone any ideas please? Thank you.

Margaret,

Here is the privacy policy are any of your grandchildren under 13?

Tree Privacy
Only the people in your family tree can log in to your tree.

Profile Privacy
Only your relatives can see your individual profile.
You can block individual relatives from viewing your individual profile or messaging you.
You can further restrict what information appears on your profile in your account settings.
Search Privacy
By default, the names of users are publicly searchable, but you can opt out in your account settings. (Your search result includes only your name, profile photo, city, and the person who added you so relatives can find you.)
When you add deceased people to your tree, their names are publicly searchable by default, but you can change this in your account settings.
When you add living people to your tree, they remain hidden from public search unless you make them visible.
Minors under 13 are never searchable by anyone outside your tree.

Gai

My SIL opened a Geni tree, and invited me to use it. I never have, though can access it for free. I think anyone can enter info onto the tree. It's constantly reminding me about people's birthday's, and I don't know lots of these 'in-laws' anyway.

Margaret,

Reading the help page you need to be a registered user to submit a request for assistance but looks like you can email them after registering.

Gai

Hi Gai - thank you for replying. The youngest one mentioned is 14. I realise you can only contact the person who put the tree on by registering but this is the last thing I wanted to do. I was divorced 40+ years ago and 'my' part of the family have had no contact whatsoever in that time and we specifically did not want the family mentioned to have any knowledge of our lives. In fact as far as we knew any marriages/births in our family were unknown to anyone other than my side of the family. Where this person has acquired this information I have no idea. In fact my grandchildren have a double-barrelled name now which should have made it more difficult to trace. This public knowledge is something we have consciously tried to avoid for all those years and I am both upset and furious that our lives are now public knowledge. I scouted round the site and have sent an email to the 'misconduct' part of Geni's site complaining to them and pointed out that it is a violation of my right to privacy and asking them to look into it. I cannot now prevent this person having this on their tree but I think it should be part of the 'private' part. Thanks again for replying.

In terms of your original question, what can you do about it?

Unfortunately this is a US site which appears to by governed by the laws of the State of California

However, a quick scan of the T's and C's states

under Content Posted

"Geni may delete any Content that in the sole judgment of Geni.com violates this Agreement or which may be offensive, illegal or violate the rights, harm, or threaten the safety of any person or for any other reason."

and under Content/Activity Prohibited

"invades or violates any third party's right to privacy"

I could not see a contact tel no or direct email but there is a page to submit a request for assistance, which does apper to be available to non-registered members

http://help.geni.com/anonymous_requests/new

Inspector green pen - thank you for your reply. I will await and see if I get any satisfaction from my original email requesting the removal of this information, but if not, I will try again using the information you have given me. I did notice from the limited info on this fellow profile that he lives in Oxford, Oxfordshire so I may appeal on here for anyone living in Oxford to look in the telephone directory to see if he is listed and I will happily ring me to discuss this matter. Thank you

Margaret
If he is listed in a phone book you can check these yourself at many main libraries throughout the country.

Gwyn

Thank you Gwyn - I had forgotten that many libraries have telephone directories. Knowing my luck, he will be ex-directory !!!!

Hi. you can just google BT residential...and you can look from the comfort of your own home! Cx.

UPDATE - through a bit of detective work I discovered this person was a Genes member and upon checking I have discovered that he also has my families details on here too - Iwithout any consultation or permission from me. As Genes say you must have permission to include any living individuals details or photios in your tree - do I now report this situation direct to genes or ask this person to remove them ? I did use the PM service to contact him just to ask if he was the person with his tree on Geni and he replied and yes and said that he had it on Genes too. He did not of course not realise at that time why I was enquiring. Now which path do I tread - do I ask him to remove my family details pointing out Genes Privacy rules or do I go direct to Genes to report this and ask for their intervention. Not been in this position ever before and am a bit nervous about the whole thing as I am completely shaken by this.

Ask the person direct to respect your wishes &please remove all your living people that matter thank you and remind them of privacy rules which they may not realise about? ,,,,,,and a mention that GR can remove them from his tree on your behalf should he have a problem doing so!


that way you have no need to involve GR at this point unless there are any issues...

Ask him to remove them first, then if he does not get genes to do it

Roy

Thank you both. I'll take the bull by the horns and contact him asking that he remove them as he is causing me distress and offence by putting them on and pointing out that it contravenes Genes Terms and conditions. I will know if he has done this as they will no longer appear in the lists that come up when you use 'search trees'. Fingers crossed that he is reasonable but as a last resort I will contact Genes direct. Thanks for your advice.

GR's T&C's state that info about living people may not be posted on the site without the permission of each individual concerned.

As this man obviously has access to all the info, it may be that he has the required permission...............just a thought for you to bear in mind.

Thanks for the reply Flick but that is not the case. I have not been consulted and certainly wouldn't give permission and neither have any of the others appearing been approached or given permission. I have actually contacted this person and asked for the removal of this info explaining my reasons and also pointing out the privacy rules on both Genes and the other programme Geni. I am waiting to see if he replies. To date the info is still there but perhaps he has not opened my message yet.

You should obviously contact him first as you want your stuff removed from both the GR tree and the GENI one.

Hi Everyone - I am really delighted to report that I contacted the person who had my details etc. on two public trees and he agreed to take them off and fully understood my reasons for asking. I have checked and he has been true to his word.

Thanks for the update - glad you had such an agreeable outcome.

Have been following your thread - that is good news!