Sharing your family history online has significant benefits for your research but it also has implications for privacy in family history. Here are my five top tips for protecting your online privacy while researching family history.
Check privacy and data sharing policies
Always examine the privacy and data sharing policies of any websites or online services if you are providing them with personal information.
Collecting personal information and sharing it with third parties is very common on the web, not just with genealogy and DNA companies. By using their services you often agree to tracking cookies and having your information passed on for the purposes of targeted advertising.
Before you agree, just be sure that you are comfortable with their terms and conditions.
Use strong passwords to protect privacy in family history
Yes, you’ve heard this advice before but it is worth repeating.
Use strong passwords. Don’t use the same ones on different sites. Change them periodically. Don’t use your mother’s maiden name – after all, you have probably shared that information in your family tree!
The definition of a strong password may vary between websites, but as it usually uses:
- at least 8 characters (the more the better)
- a mixture of upper and lower case
- a mixture of letters and numbers
- at least one special character, e.g. %#*
Email addresses may not be privatised
It is safest to assume that your email address will become public or be shared.
It is probably best if you don’t use your main email address or the email address that you use on social media.
You might consider creating a separate email address just for family history. If you want anonymity, avoid any part of your own name in that email address. It is also a good idea to avoid including your year of birth or your mother’s maiden name.
Using inbuilt messaging systems instead of email are a good idea, if they are available.
Protecting the privacy of living people
It is good practice to protect the privacy of living people when sharing family history information online, especially if you do not have explicit permission to share their information publicly.
Many online websites used by genealogists have guidelines and systems that automate this. If you create your own family history website, such as a blog, you will need to do this manually.
You should not publish information or photographs of living people without their permission. This includes posting on a website or in social media.
Consider carefully what information you share on social media about you and your family.
Adjust privacy settings
Learn how to adjust the privacy settings of any online website where you post information. Consider what information you are willing to share and adjust the settings to suit you.
Here are three examples
On Ancestry, you can choose to have your family tree public or private. If you make your tree private, no one can see your tree unless you invite them to view it. Private Ancestry trees will still appear in Ancestry search results, unless you prevent them from appearing.
On Wikitree, the profile manager sets the Privacy level for the profile. What others can see and do depends on that Privacy Level.
Blogging platforms, such as WordPress and Blogger, allow you to restrict access to your website, or to specific posts, by using a password. If you want to limit who you share your family history with, this might be an option that suits you.
More information
For more of my articles on documenting your family history, go to the Document page.
Post last updated 17 June 2024
