Living People

[Diane Grant-Salmon]

Could someone tell me whether I'm right or wrong on this question please? I had always thought that if you uploaded your Family Tree to the internet, you had to obtain permission from any living people first, before their names and details were included on it.

For example, the GenesReunited site mentions this, so I assume that if someone uploaded details without permission, if they didn't remove the names when requested ....... a complaint to GR would mean that they would deal with the matter?

In the case of an individual's own web site, where they have uploaded their Family Tree, if my assumption is correct re this rule ..... how can you make them remove the info, or is this not possible?

[Peter Goodey]

See some correspondence with the OIC here:

https://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb....rotection.html

I'm not clear how up to date it is.

Note in particular "...we would strongly recommend that any information provided to the genealogy community stresses the need to process personal data with due regard to the interests of the data subject to whom the personal data being processed relates."

If I interpret the question correctly, it would seem to my non-legal mind that the Human Rights Act might be relevant and could be cited in dealings with the originator of the data and with the operators of the site where the offending data is hosted. There might be a problem if it isn't hosted in the UK but perhaps you may recall Godfrey vs Demon Internet which was a case with implications for all British ISPs even though the alleged libel did not necessarily originate from within the UK.

[Diane Grant-Salmon]

Hi Peter,
Many thanks for your reply and the link.

I wrote to him three days ago, requesting that my name, my husband's name and my brother's name be removed ...... however, no reply as yet, even though he wrote to me earlier the same day giving me the address of his site.

I didn't write to him using his hotmail address on his web site, as I didn't want him to have my email address, so I wrote via Genes Reunited. The fact that he's uploaded my direct line of descent doesn't worry me at all, except that he's been exceptionally careless with Mothers' giving birth before they were born, or after they died, also that my details are incorrect!

It looks like I'll just have to put up with it, as I don't want any sort of legal 'fight' with him ..... I'll just delete his name from my list of contacts, plus a little giggle that my line of descent doesn't even make sense! He has my Grandparents (who were born in 1884 and 1891) as my Parents and my Father as the lone Parent of my Grandfather!

[Chasing Caseys]

I havent put my or my parents brother,cousins or in short "living" ect info on genesre or any other tree i have put on the web incase someone else decides to use it and distribute it and finding myself or having put someone else in that position would irritate me more than my gnat bites at the moment ! I worry about stolen identities or maybe thats just my mind working overtime

[BeeE586]

Earlier in the year I found details of my living nephew's birth on Genes Reunited. A very unusual surname, coupled with his exact date and place of birth - in a place where it would not be expected - meant that it was almost certainly him. The only living people entered on my tree are my son and myself. I tried to contact the person who had entered these details, (who had the same surname), and asked for access to his tree, but he chose not to reply. I then contacted GR, explained the situation, and although they could not give me any information on the person (quite rightly) my nephew's details were immdiately removed from the site and I received a very handsome apology. The details have not reappeared.

I do believe that GR acted very properly in this matter and I applaud them for it.

Eileen

My own details do appear on several other trees in GR, that of a first cousin and several other relatives of lesser degree. This is with my permission.

[Peter Goodey]

"It looks like I'll just have to put up with it, as I don't want any sort of legal 'fight' with him"


I wouldn't imagine you would.

If he declines to remove it, you could contact the host site (probably his ISP) and complain to them, mentioning in vague terms the Human Rights legislation.