Genealogy Chat

Some time ago I supplied my family data to a person doing a one name study. This person has given the information to a third person who has submitted it on this site. A number of the people he has submitted are still living, I have not even included them in my data on here. One particular person had, in the notes I had made, his race and the fact that he was adopted. I now find this information on this site as his place of birth, available to all who look. Over the last few weeks I have messaged the submitter, reported it as abuse, and also contacted the GC team asking that it be removed, the last message to GC was 2 days ago, and nobody has answered me. I feel dreadful that this info, given to me in good faith and passed on to the one name study has appeared in public. I shall be very careful about who I give what info to in the future. Any ideas on what I can do next? Christine in NZ

I agree with Susan , KEEP AT THEM Christine. It certainly is a warning about what info we put on public view............especially Living people.............I read on here a Warning message about naming Living people, I admit I hadn't considered the dangers before then. Regards Ann

Christine I had a similar situation with one member of my extended family who kept adding myself, my mum and my brother to this site - made worse by the fact that she added my brothers details on the very day she found out he had passed away. She did not have permission and the staff at Genes were incredibly helpful by removing the names from her tree when she did not respond to emails. They also removed them twice more when she continued to add them despite being warned. She appears to have got the message now. Bare with Genes (try contacting them again) because when they do respond the sort the problem out swiftly Zoe

It baffles me how the GC team can be so quick to remove a thread from the boards when they consider it to be offensive even if the thread was posted in the spirit of everyone having a laugh (Sammy's mistranscription thread is one example), yet when something like this happens, you get no response. It states quite clearly that you must have the permission of any living person to post their details on this site. Permission has not been given, you have pointed this out and yet you are still waiting for a response. Keep hounding them, Chris! Lou

Thanks all, I have reported it to GC as abuse again, and messaged the person concerned again, letting him know that I have reported it. Lets hope this time there is some action. Christine in NZ

Christine, Sorry to hear of the hassles - it is something important to all of us, so I'm really replying just to bump this message up the board again. Good luck & regs Jane

Christine, Can you contact the person doing the one name study? As a precaution you could remove any living relatives from your own tree. That way you don't have to worry about that info. when sharing. Crista

You could remind them they are in breech of contract, as you consider it an abuse. and there for should be removed. And it is also cuseing you distress. follow this with a hint of looking in to the Small clames site and compensation. See if that moves them.

does anyone wish to clarify the dangers?

Steve We have had this discussion many times before, however I think it is important enough to have it again. Identity theft is the really big one - you are giving criminals everything they need to steal your identity, forge a passport in your name, pretend to be you when they get into trouble, be you when they contact your Bank etc etc. As for your small children - well, a predatory paedophile's dream, he has everything he needs to strike up a friendship with your family, pretending to be a relative etc. OK, far-fetched - but are you willing to take the risk of your child being the first victim? My adult daughter was stalked. Nothing to do with the Internet but it has made me very wary of publishing any details concerning anyone younger than me in my family. OK, most of our information is already available to anyone who REALLY wants it, but why put it on a plate for them to find? Marjorie

As we are all here to find out abut the past I found it strange that when I started had to enter living people although only my self. I have not added any other living people to my tree except my parents and then I used different names (most families have things that they dont want publicly available) If any one views my tree then they are welcome to any info from the past, but I'm afraid the present stays with me

I agree with that why hand it to them on a plate. But obviously they could find this all out. And identity theft is so easy, even if you didn't post any living relatives on here. So putting it on here or not it makes no difference. I always have a genealogy program like Family Tree Maker at home for my full tree living and dead and a basic one on here. I see what all of you are trying to say. Steve

Funny is'nt it here we all are saying how wrong it is to put living relles on a tree with out permission and a few weeks ago there was a thread about releising the 1911 census early. I will put my hand up to beeing one off the 'for it lot' but now I do not no. there are people on that, that could still be alive today, and if we feel vunrable becuse some one has put our family in a tree, What would a 98 year old feel knowing every thing about them is on line.

Identity theft is a problem nowerdays unfortunately it is the world we live in, but for other reasons I'm sure the chap who was the original reason for this thread did not want those details on display. In my family there are ex husbands/wives that certain people do not want contact with. I just feel that it is common courtesey not to put their names anywhere people may be looking for them. As for my kids I dont need to put them on a website to know that they are there.

Steve I agree, Identity Theft is pretty easy for anyone determined to do it. But the difference is, on this site you are not only giving them your identity, you are giving them a whole family history, enabling them to talk convincingly about Auntie June and her children and Great Grandfather George being a stonemason etc. Personally, cant see the need to put anyone under eighteen on here at all - you are hardly going to make a contact through your three-year-old daughter, are you? I remember reading a true story a while ago about a woman who 'lost' her identity - she was wiped from all the records, could not access her bank account, she nearly committed suicide because all the authorities stone-walled her. Eventually it turned out that someone had stolen her identity and because they were a drug-running criminal, all their assets etc had been frozen. It was spine-chilling stuff. And, at the end of the day, the Data Protection Act rules - you cannot post details of any living person on this site without their permission. Nor anywhere else in any Public Forum either. Marjorie

I contacted the GC team almost 2 weeks ago and had a reply stating that they were contacting the person posting the details. Since then I have heard nothing and the information is still there. I personally have none of my living family on the site, if others are looking for a match they want my ancestors not my living family members. The person posting my family details must be so remotely related, I don't know him and he lives in America I believe, and I am in New Zealand. It seems to me that he is more interested in numbers than anything else. I know of another person who has attempted to contact him and not had a reply. I only have about 100 people on this site, ones that I know are mine and lines that I am actively following, and people that if someone cotacts me, I can give them some information in exchange for anything that they can give me. Thanks all for your encouragement, Christine in NZ

Christine, In other countries (like the US) there is no Data Protection Act and so they are under no obligation to remove the information. Worth thinking about if someone outside the UK gets hold of your tree. Crista

maybe i am being a bit thick but how does someone look at a name of a living person on here and then find out where they live How is 192(.) com getting away with it?? I have just had a lovely time, seeing as its free ,looking up old neighbours, friends and boyfriends to see where they are now living. I am not going to stalk them of course but easily could maureen

Marjorie, I am always saying on General board so many people give their personal information so willingly, I have seen them on threads giving dates of birth, places they live, their maiden names mother's maiden names, their childrens names, their dates of birth etc., and then they put it all up on their tree!!! We are too trusting really, but people need to consider that ALL can read these boards they can take all the info they want through the boards and the trees they then learn ALL about you in a very short time, I find it very worrying but very sad. As Crista has just warned worry if it reaches places like the U.S. i.e. Ancestry it can be used by anyone.............. Think twice and always be cautious, living people should not be included in trees if you do include them be selective with info like including yourself and parents, mine have slightly different names and dates of births, and they are deceased relatives!!! I pick and choose before I allow such info out for all in sundry to use. Caution should be used as you do not know who is looking in or asking to view your tree, so many times I have had people allow me to view their trees? I have not asked them yet they I have been given permission, where it is not needed. Be careful, be safe. Pat x

This article was on the BBC today. http://news.bbc.*co.uk/1/hi/business/4311693.stm You really want to make it as hard as possible for someone to order your birth cert. It helps if you don't put your surname or maiden name in your Account Details on this site. Crista