Familytreenow.com Privacy Concerns- You might want to look yourself up

MarkinPhx

MarkinPhx

Well-known Member
Location
Phoenix
I'm pretty transparent online and not too worried about privacy issues but this article did have me concerned http://www.newsday.com/entertainmen...ourself-from-the-genealogy-website-1.12955422 . I did a search on myself and close and distant relatives were found under my name along with former addresses. I went ahead and did the opt out option. Not sure if it will do much good but worth a shot. I do realize that public records can reveal a lot of things but this is pretty scary because all of the info in on one page and it's pretty easy to find anyone.
 

Part of the problem are family, relatives and spouse's information because their information is associated with yours even though you get a mention.

I think a saw where there is a now a lawsuit or law in California preventing websites to post an actor's birth date and some other information. People think this family history stuff is 'cool' or what ever going to the point of submitting dna for testing. Guarantee you that dna will not only wind up for sale and in other data bases it is something that could be subpoenaed by a lawyer/court one day.
 

There is another site out there called truthfinder. I'm almost afraid to do a search of myself or anyone else.
 
MarkinPhx said:
I'm pretty transparent online and not too worried about privacy issues but this article did have me concerned http://www.newsday.com/entertainmen...ourself-from-the-genealogy-website-1.12955422 . I did a search on myself and close and distant relatives were found under my name along with former addresses. I went ahead and did the opt out option. Not sure if it will do much good but worth a shot. I do realize that public records can reveal a lot of things but this is pretty scary because all of the info in on one page and it's pretty easy to find anyone.
Click to expand...

You can get that info on a number of sites. Get the address, Google it, now you know where someone lives. You can find out how much their home is worth and what they pay in taxes. If the person is a professional, you can sometimes find out info such as where they went to school and whether they work from home.

Not all info is accurate so don't go believing it all! Mine isn't but I wouldn't want it corrected. There is a site that has people going out and photographing tombstones. I was horrified to find a picture of my husband's headstone online! Nothing is private so it's best not to give info to anyone but somehow, there's now a way of getting it for some $$$. Public records are now really public to anyone.
 
Sometimes I think these opt out things are just a trick to get you to confirm that the information that they have is accurate.

I guess the internet has made me a little bit paranoid, LOL!
 
I did click on Privacy and went there, just didn't see any opt out at all. But I see what you mean about personal addresses. Two were listed that I have used and one mysterious address that wasn't even mine...I've never given them that address, since it was never my address.
 
Kitties said:
There is another site out there called truthfinder. I'm almost afraid to do a search of myself or anyone else.
Click to expand...
I clicked on Truthfinder by accident when I was looking for People Search. They take you thought this long drawn out process, asking that you understand and agree to several different things. They warn you that information found may be graphic or unexpected. They ask you to check boxes saying you will not stalk the person or use the gotten information maliciously. I did a search on my son just for the heck of it. It takes awhile and the site leads you to think you will be getting a very detailed report (police & court records, social media, photos & background checks) for free. Then at the end of the process, after they have gotten your name and email address and tell you that your report is ready to be viewed, they hit you with the cost. Recommended: $27+ a month and request your credit card info. Well, I'm glad I looked up someone I'm already very familiar with otherwise I may have been tempted. LOL I just exited the site. I imagine it would be worth paying for at least one month though, if someone wanted to check out someone he/she thinks they may get serious with.

MarkinPhx..this is good information. I bookmarked the article you provided via the link. Thank you.
 

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