A word of warning!!

[bridgy]

 
Be very careful when giving access to your tree. I was contacted by someone on another FH site (paid for I might add) asking about a name in my tree. As it turned out we did have a connection so I gave him access to my tree. Being busy at the time, I didn't check his tree very closely - that was my BIG mistake!! When time permitted, I checked his tree more closely and discovered that there was a very, very remote connection so contacted him and told him that I was withdrawing my access. He wasn't pleased but accepted. Have just done a google search for one of my brick wall ancestors and what did I find?
Oodles of info from my tree published on his public viewing site!!
To say that I'm annoyed would be an understatement because I did not give him permission to use this information and neither did he ask for it. One thing that I can smile about is that I've since found out that some of the information was wrong and he's copied it to his tree.
Even though I've read warnings of this kind before I fell into the trap so, if you're new to FH and put your tree onto any site - whether paid for or not - be very careful to whom you give access. I'm going to contact this bloke and ask him, politely, to remove my information. Can't do much about it if he won't but at least he will know my feelings.
Regards
Jan

[clottedcream]

I have had a similar experience, bridgy, except that mine was a public tree, so fair game. However, I was shaken to see my family photos and loads of information on someone else's tree. I e-mailed the person asking about the connection, no reply, and got so cross because he/she would not respond to further e-mails. Eventually, I asked him/her to remove the information/photos, which has not been done. Looking at his/her tree, I think that it is just name grabbing.....and, like you, I see that there is now wrong information....ha!

[Nick29]

We get posts like this every other week on this forum.   If the person has posted detailed information (i.e. DOB, place of birth) on living people then you can demand that they remove it.  However, information about those who have passed away is in the public domain, and there is nothing you can do about it.  The answer to this has also been posted many times...... if you don't want others using your data, then don't share it.

 

[andycand]

If the person has posted detailed information (i.e. DOB, place of birth) on living people then you can demand that they remove it.

You can ask (or demand) it to be removed but if they don't there is very little you can do unless the website its uploaded to has a policy regarding living people.

Coincidently I happened to switch on the radio yesterday and the Privacy Commissioner (here in Australia) was being interviewed. Unfortunately I missed most of it but from what little I heard it would appear that the Act applies to companies, organisations etc but not individuals. I must see if there is a trnscript of the interview somewhere.

One thing I did see when doing a bit of googling about the act is that if an organisation etc has permission to publish information then they should get that permission in writing. I wonder how many people who have living relatives on their tree actually have it in writing.

Andy

[groom]

Same happened to me. I was contacted by a very distant relation of the half brother of an uncle by marriage who had an unusual name! We exchanged some info and then I discovered he had copied my tree and joined it with his. Most of the people on there, especially those on my fathers side have no relationship to him at all. He claims to have over 10,000 names on his tree so is obviously just a name grabber. I was cross at first but then realised it was partly my fault for allowing him access. It's his loss as he doesn't have the satisfaction of researching all the individuals and most of the names must be meaningless to him. The only thing that still annoys me is that his tree keeps appearing as hints on An****ry!!

Jan

[sueky71]

This is a fairly common experience and I think part of the problem is allowing someone access to your tree also implies permission for them to use (or copy) it.
I know it's frustrating, particularly if living rellies are included, but other than asking them to remove/edit such information there's little that can be done about it 

[millymcb]

Using information in a tree is one thing but using your photos is quite another.  That is absolutely outrageous and I think that you have every right to ask that they be removed

Milly

[johngirl]

I also had someone use a photo I had uploaded onto my tree of my GG Grandmother on their tree.
They had also taken a gaol photo of my GGG Uncle that I had gotten from the NSW Archives and put that up also.
I was so shocked to see my photo`s in someone elses tree that I forgot to see how this person was suppose to be connected to my family tree.
Must go back and have a look.
 I don`t mind sharing information at all but this person could have asked my permission to use my photo`s.

  Johngirl

[Nick29]

This is a fairly common experience and I think part of the problem is allowing someone access to your tree also implies permission for them to use (or copy) it.
I know it's frustrating, particularly if living rellies are included, but other than asking them to remove/edit such information there's little that can be done about it 

Well actually there is.  The Ancestry Submission Agreement clearly states that you should not use other people's photos without their consent.  Having said that, Ancestry make it very easy to steal other people's photos ! 

I have used other people's photos in my tree, and others have used mine in theirs, but I should add that these people are all people that I have had contact with in the past, so they are not complete strangers.  I always acknowledge and thank the original posters when I do this.  If anyone objected (and nobody has yet), then I would immediately remove the photos.  Again, the bottom line is - if you don't want to share, don't make it public.