Genealogy Chat

Interestingly there are no laws in the UK which specifically prevent personal information appearing on the internet, which is why it is such a grey area.

There is often a misconception that the Data Protection Act would cover this sort of situation as surely it is concerned with maintaining confidentiality? Reality is somewhat removed from this

The DPA is concerned with the 'Fair' use of personal data, which means that provided your data is used for reasonable and legal purposes there is no contravention of the law.

There is also another important part of the DPA, that of consent. If a person consents that their data can be used in a particular way, then the provisions of the DPA don't apply. Hence one of the reasons why GR ask members to obtain prior permission before recording details of living persons, and also offer to help remove details where this permission is not held.

If the member posting the details has permission then the matter is beyond doubt, if they don't have permission then even then it is always possible to claim that the information is for research purposes only which would also make it exempt from the provisions of the DPA.

Common sense dictates that it isn't a good idea to splash your information around, and GR advises members never to reveal or post personal information about yourself or others which you do not want to be visible to third parties.

Thanks Sylvia.

No, I didn't have to contact GR. She did it herself.

But I certainly will follow your advice and watch that she doesn't re-post.

Great news, Christina!

I am so pleased to hear that.


Did you contact GR about it??


There actually are laws in all countries re putting personal information of other living people on the internet .................. and the sites can be held responsible for breakdowns. That applies to both children and adults.

So, it was in GR's interest to remove the names.


Just keep watch that she does not re-post.


ancestry has a programme that automatically changes names to Private when there is a birth date within the last 120 years, but no death date.

GR I believe will respond to complaints about information born within the last 100 years


Posting a living person as either Living (as on GR) or Private (as on ancestry) does not mean that people searching for connections will not be able to find you or your tree. The names will show up in Tree Searches


But they cannot see anything else other than the name, and HAVE to contact you.

We have been removed. :-D

NanaSue, I have no objection whatsoever to other members adding me to their tree if they have a genuine connection.

What I do object to, in this case, is the fact that when I first made contact with this member she was unwilling (or perhaps unable!) to explain how we are related and she just said she would delete us.

I was fine with that, as she was obviously unwilling to share information.

Then to find that she had not only NOT deleted me and my parents, but added both my husbands (who she could not possibly claim a relationship with) is going too far.

Perhaps she is just a name collector, more interested in having the biggest tree than reuniting genes?

Edit: I also find it appalling that 'strangers' think they have the right to add children, as in Lesley's case and personal information, as happened to Sue.

If there isn't a law against it , there should be!

I had a similar occurrence a while back with a new relative i met on here. I had some photos and docs which were too big to scan, so posted copies off to her. The next time I looked at her tree she had not only added me and my close (living) family, but also added my married name, full addess and phone number! When I politely asked her to remove them and explained why, she just closed my tree to me and refused to reply to my messages. Eventually Genes said they had removed all this info, but as I can't see her tree I just hope she never re-entered everything. Just shows we aren't all nice people on here - but most are!

Sue

With the telephone directories on line it is all too easy to find the homes of elderly relatives.
Even when you are not elderly - it is very unnerving, even upsetting, having strangers knocking on your door expecting entry because they claim to be your relative.
Remember not everyone is interested in Family History/genealogy - even your nearest and dearest may be actively against it. There may also be very good reasons why a particular persons details should not be displayed to all.

I really don't understand why anybody should take offence at other member' trees having their close/direct deceased members listed.There has to be some connection even if it is way back whenever, otherwise the link could not be made.

That is how researching goes we don't live in a box - there is no law I have ever heard of.

I can understand some peoples objection to living young children.

MarysRoots - researchers don't just put random names on their tree; there is a connection somewhere however remote.

If a family lived in a village, or island, by tracing various 'marry in's', you might find them living next door to each other on census or one 2nd cousin once removed working for another. It helps to produce a more 'rounded' picture of the community rather than think of them only as names on a page.

Most people, when researching 'twigs' do take ownership of them while looking for associated records.

One branch of mine emmigrated to the US in 1843ish. If I hadn't traced his descendents as well as my more closely related ones, it wouldn't have been possible to help a 3rd cousin and members of his married in/extended family solve a mystery.

Jax ........................

I know!

One did it, wouldn't remove .................. and 2 others were given the information by her



One of the reasons I no longer am willing to share.



However ................ they are quite genuinely researching the same family, we are quite genuinely connected, either as first or second cousins .........


.................... and there are at least 5 or 6 others who could quite genuinely put me in their trees if following siblings of their parents or grandparents.

They haven't stolen anything from me.

What is the point of having people on your tree if not related. It 's no longer your tree you might as well just have a list of names any names I just do not see any rhyme or reason for it

Mary

I just searched for you Sylvia and you are in 3 trees...your own and two others

Christina the same has happened to me a lady has got all of my family on her tree including mine and my sisters children I would never put them on the net, I PM'd the lady in June 2012 asking her to remove the children but assume she has changed her mail address as the PM has never been opened, I contacted GR and they removed the dates of the children's birth but not their names.

For the life of me I cannot see that this lady has any connection to my family.

You can contact GR ............... and they will remove your names from her tree if she will not do it herself.


It isn't stalking, so much as thoughtlessness


and she could well have found much of the information from freebmd, and other online sources


HOWEVER ....................... names of living people should NOT be posted on this or any other site, regardless of whether you have or have not given permission.

ancestry automatically hides any names wheee there is a birth date within the last 120 years, but no death date.

GR asks that you hide names of living people .................. and, as I said, will do it for you if you contact them.

I didn't realise that Jax. So it searches everyone's tree but your own?

But she must have done the research herself as I don't even have my ex in my tree.

I understand now I thought you had seen her tree,
I will give it a try jax I do not use search trees very often so I don't know that much about it If I'm looking I usually look on public trees on Ancestry and if I find something that maybe of interest I always ask the tree owner for permission to use info

Mary

I didn't see the names in her tree. I don't have access to it. I'd posted a request on the Find Ancestors board and just happened to notice her name on the board when I was checking for replies.

It triggered my memory, so I looked on Search Trees to see if I had been removed and as I'd not, I searched for other family members and there her name was.

You can hide living rellies in your tree so anyone you share with cannot see them but they can still be found if you use the search trees.

You probably would not know this , but if you search for anyone in your own tree it does not show up...even long dead ones....give it a try

I always thought anyone living would not show on the trees, So how did you see your names on her tree

Mary

If she is related I have no idea how. I have never given her access to my tree and hide living relatives and the only living relatives are there to connect my direct ancestors, or those of my children. (who's name are not on my tree here)

She is in my contacts as I sent her a message about 2 years ago when I discovered she had me, my father and my grandmother. She mentioned just a surname that is in my family,many generations back, but offered no other explanation of a connection and said she would remove us.

It's just come as a bit of a shock to find that, not only am I still in her tree, she has added the others as well.