5

privacy is not respected

Marina

March 05, 2013 06:32

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All geni users are searchable unless they change it themselves in account settings ! Declaring one's profile as private is not sufficient!

Not only are the users searchable, but all their relatives (except minors) are named!
On the geni page the following is written
"Your search result includes only your name, profile photo, city, and the person who added you so relatives can find you."

IT INCLUDES MORE THAN THAT. IT INCLUDES THE NAMES OF YOUR HUSBAND / WIFE AND CHILDREN (not minor) AND THEIR PHOTOGRAPHS.

and if the wife had indicated in her permissions that she did not want to be searchable then she is marked as "private user" next to her photograph!!!! "

THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE

9 comments

• 0
  
  Jeff, Geni Curator March 05, 2013 21:17

  Yes, to not have your public page indexed by Google, you need to set your permissions (http://www.geni.com/account_settings/permissions) and uncheck the box "http://www.geni.com/account_settings/permissions".  This follows the trend like Facebook that makes searching for you the default.  However, as you pointed out, it also shows your relatives that are linked to you, which should probably been more restrictive (or at least an option for it in privacy).  Ya, they should address the photograph thing.

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  Marina March 05, 2013 21:35

  So will they address this bug? It would be nice to have a direct answer from Geni !

• 0
  
  Jeff, Geni Curator March 05, 2013 21:45

  I can tell you that the relative thing has been brought up in the curator circles as being a privacy concern, but I can't recall the details or what Geni's plans are.  They've been working on several privacy things since the purchase by My Heritage, as they have stricter privacy requirements on living profiles (for example, you can no longer make a living profile public).  I'll look into it and I'll bring up the photo issue, because I don't recall that one mentioned.

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  Marina March 05, 2013 21:58

  Thank you Jeff....I think it is important and am surprised that Geni is taking this issue so lightly as they have not been sufficiently pro-active.  CNIL takes these privacy breeches very seriously. see here

  http://www.cnil.fr/english/

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  Jeff, Geni Curator March 05, 2013 22:27

  I didn't say that Geni was taking it lightly.  The discussion of it was recent, but I just can't find it in the hundreds of threads I watch.  They may be actively working on a better approach or maybe it's just a bug, I don't know.  I just created a new thread for it in the curator area and asked for Geni's input and plans.  I also referenced this thread.

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  Jeff, Geni Curator March 05, 2013 23:54

  Marina, here is what they stated "The relatives that the search results list will only show a first name unless it is a claimed user. If the user is claimed what shows up is based on their privacy setting. In the example that you mentioned if the picture is set to public it will still show up if you uncheck the box that lets the public search for you."

  The public option on the profile picture is set in the privacy (http://www.geni.com/account_settings/profile_privacy).  The Google search option (http://www.geni.com/account_settings/permissions) "Let the public search for me (profile privacy settings apply)" is separate from displaying the picture private / public in the privacy settings.  So, even if you're wife's profile is not index in Google, if your page is index it would pick up her public profile photo.

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  Marina March 06, 2013 07:07

  Yes Jeff, I know how to make myself, and my photo unsearchable. It is described in my original post. But most users don't. What I am complaining about is the default setting! A user believes he is "private" but he STILL has to modify permissions to say he is not searchable AND make his photo invisible.....these should be the default as stated by CNIL,  and EPIC (Electronic Privacy Information Center) . You are aware how much they have insisted on the default privacy settings on Facebook.

  see here

  http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/facebook-to-make-all-sharing-privacy-settings-opt-in/63168

  http://ec.europa.eu/justice/policies/privacy/workinggroup/wpdocs/index_en.htm

  CNIL The Commission nationale de l’informatique et des libertés (CNIL) is responsible for ensuring that information technology remains at the service of citizens, and does not jeopardize human identity or breach human rights, privacy or individual or public liberties.

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  Nadine Louise Davey March 05, 2015 07:12

  Why are the privacy settings different for invited relatives compared to people who joined by themselves? For example, I invited a close relative and then noticed her profile had become completely public and as she isn't that knowledgable in things like social media profile settings I changed them for her myself and the only option was for it to be completely private as 'private user' compared to users of the site whose names I can see. I had to invited her to be a collaborator just to see her profile. I don't get it, what is the point in inviting family members whose profile you can't view? It puts me off inviting anyone else, particular older relatives who aren't going to understand how to change the settings. Those are the people who would be most vulnerable to having their private information taken advantage of. Invited persons' profiles should be private other than to close relatives by default.
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  Jeff, Geni Curator March 05, 2015 20:01

  Nadine, that's not my experience with the software, so I'd have to see your specific instance.  Living profiles are private, claimed profiles are managed by the users (be it invite or they start their own tree), but default to private (except for the name).  There is no way Geni sets a profile as completely public unless that person is deceased.  Perhaps what you mean is that the name is indexed by Google?  By default that is on, as it is on any social media site.  Test it yourself.. add a bogus profile to your tree and give it an alternative email, then check the privacy and permissions.