Personal details of others on the net

[danIT]

I recently searched for my full name on google looking for a recent document which was published regarding some research i did for a local university. Hoping to find the document for a fellow colleague i found my name listed on somebodies family tree. I clicked on the listing and found my details, place of birth, data of birth, full name listed on the site along with all of my both living and dead relatives on both sides of my family.

 

Although i realise this information is available to the public, should you apply for this information, i was wondering where the guy who runs the site stands legally. I noticed some of the information was incorrect also.

 

This information is not held behind a username and password just freely available to anyone who stumbles across it?

 

Any advice greatly appreciated!!

[enjay]

Considering how many times you're asked for all those details as security questions for online banking etc, having that information so publicly available would concern me greatly. It would be interesting to know where the site owner gathered such information.

 

If you can actually use Google to find references to yourself, you clearly have a less common name than I do, by the way!

[_Bat_]

It would be interesting to know where the site owner gathered such information.

He is probably related in some distant way and is doing research on his family history. He has probably obtained the details from a family member. That is the way it usually works.

 

I have used family tree software online before. Usually it gives you the option of hiding details of people who are still alive. This is just morally correct to do this if not a legal requirement. I have always used this option whenever I do anything like this.

 

If you can actually use Google to find references to yourself, you clearly have a less common name than I do, by the way!

 

Me too. I wasn't aware my name was so common until I used google. Apparently there is a professor at manchester uni who shares my name and he gets a lot of the top hits lol.

[danIT]

I have a fairly unique surname,

 

I too was concerned by the blatant disregard for any kind of security, how many times have you used your mothers maiden name for a security question?

 

This kind of information is 'publically' available,

 

http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/

 

Surely he should ask permission before publishing information of this kind anyway?

[Geoff]

According to Google, I have a line of jewellery named after me. I am a seismologist, a photographer, a (very dead) theologian, a composer and an archaeologist.

[danIT]

Im still wanted in Australia, from pre 1800's

[tech_guy]

According to Google, I have a line of jewellery named after me. I am a seismologist, a photographer, a (very dead) theologian, a composer and an archaeologist.

 

Lucky you - according to Google I'm a serial killer in the US....

 

:?

[_Bat_]

Lucky you - according to Google I'm a serial killer in the US....

 

Serial killer turned IT Technician? Sounds about right.

[danIT]

The guy who runs the site has just removed my details from his site.

 

" I have received many thanks from other relatives for having the family tree on my site and you are the first person to complain, especially as the information of which you complain is freely available from GRO records.

 

When you are much older you may appreciate being able to view relatives. It has taken me 20 years to accumulate the information but now it is incomplete. "

 

My reply:

 

not only is the information now incomplete but inaccurate also.

 

Result!

[russdev]

Well with me it is a side effect of my job means my name is all over the place on web but most of stuff is generic and so no problem...

 

Saying that have found a site that lists my home address so asked for login password again so can get it removed.

 

Russell

[enjay]

Dan - what was the site? I'm curious (and concerned) as to how much of my personal information is on there now too...

[enjay]

According to Google, I have a line of jewellery named after me. I am a seismologist, a photographer, a (very dead) theologian, a composer and an archaeologist.

Just taking the first five in Google, I am:

- a philosophy lecturer at the University of Nottingham

- a physics research fellow at Oxford University

- a producer at the BBC

- an upcoming young tennis star

- a former BBC political correspondent.

 

I am also a lecturer/researcher in various other subjects at a variety of universities, as well as a noted author of Christian literature, oh and apparently a member of a Welsh male voice choir! And that's just from the first 20 of 2.1m results!!

[_Bat_]

I am:

- a philosophy lecturer at the University of Nottingham

- a physics research fellow at Oxford University

- a producer at the BBC

- an upcoming young tennis star

- a former BBC political correspondent.

 

Well at least no-one can say you haven't done anything with your life

[danIT]

I haven't got a problem with details of my job, or papers i have written or collaborated on, including my name and job title for instance. My main objection was the amount of information it exposed regarding my personal details/circumstance, and also those of my close family. He has also had the cheek to email me to confirm some details of two deaths recently and a birth.

[webman]

I'm a sales manager for ConocoPhilips

[danIT]

love the pic!

[MkII]

Yeah - that was your good side webman

[webman]

Oh but of course!

 

Most googles for my name are actually me though

[Ric_]

Indeed Google is scary....

 

Search phrase "Ric Charlton"

 

Hits...

1. Me

2. Me

3. Some Australian uni bod

4. CEO of Shell

5. Me

[steve]

I have a Premiership footballer named after me, so no chance of anyone finding me under all those headlines.

 

Also I'm a photographer and a researcher of Biodiversity and Ecological Entomology.

 

I once asked a website owner to remove my data too as I didn't want my details on-line, less than co-operative. It never surprises me how indifferent they are to peoples personal data.

 

I bet these are the people who throw out their bank statements, straight in the bin, not even read.

[sqdge]

I'm pretty high up on the list when you google my name, but first place goes to the fact that I have the same name as a comic book character...apparently (I think the artist was having an off day when he thought up that name).

[russdev]

What going on about ric i had to get to position 21 before it wasn't me and in fact in first 70 results only 5 are not me....

 

Not sure what that says about me Who says mini brands don't work

 

Russell

[maniac]

I'm number 4 on the list when my name's googled. No personal details, just a forum profile from a forum I'd long since forgotten about!

 

I'm also;

A singer in america

Former mayor and current CEO for hamilton city council in NZ

A deacon for St Paul and St Marylebone

A postgraduate student at Cambridge researching Russia and Eastern Europe.

 

Diverse range of career paths there!

 

Mike.

[Joedetic]

I have a rediculous italian surname so you would have thought that the hits would be related to me. But no...there are a supprising number of doctors with my name

 

One of the first few hits that comes up shows the registration info for one of my domain names and the registration address!

 

I'm always very careful not to put the house number in the addresses, but it's not the address i live at so i'm not too fussed. It's the address that my web server USED to be located at.

[kearton]

The Data Protection Act 1998 and Genealogists

http://www.sog.org.uk/leaflets/dpa2.pdf