Privacy Settings with FamilytreeDNA

[choff]

Hi,

I am interested in moving over my results from 23andme.com to see what matches I have here. My question really pertains to privacy, it seems from what I have read that there are less controls than 23andme it seems like by default names and emails are sent for genetic matches.

I would like to remain anonymous and have the option to allow contact or not allow contact, can anyone state for sure if this is possible or have any further input on this subject?


TIA

[MMaddi]

With all due respect, why would you pay for a test whose main purpose is cousin matching and then choose to remain anonymous to matches?

To answer your specific question, yes you can choose to remain anonymous in FTDNA's database. However, my understanding is that that choice is not partial or conditional. Either you're public to all matches or you're private to all matches, so there's no way for them to contact you and allow you to decide if you want to respond.

What's more, if you choose to remain private in the database, it's reciprocal. Even the names and e-mail addresses of your matches who are public are not provided to their matches who've chosen to remain private. To do otherwise would be unfair as it would be one way matching.

If I'm wrong about that, someone please correct me.

[MtnMama]

I would just second what the previous poster said. The ONLY ONLY ONLY value to genetic genealogy testing is in sharing family trees and comparing chromosome matches. The value is in finding common ancestors. Why exactly do you think you should remain anonymous but get to see other people's information? Plus, in my experience, sharing genealogy research brings good karma.

[Rebekah Canada]

Plus, in my experience, sharing genealogy research brings good karma.

Hi,

Sharing genealogy is great for karma. I just got this week a thank you from someone for a record I transcribed and posted to a mailing list over 10 years ago. :-)

[choff]

While I appreciate the input, your comments are short sighted. Many people have different family structures and may simply not be comfortable sharing details about themselves.

In my particular case I am donor conceived and simply do not feel comfortable with matches knowing who I am without my consent, with 23andme at least it's on a case by case basis. My motivations for wanting to submit my information to familytreedna is simply to know if I have additional matches beyond what I have found on 23andme.

[Mlawton]

In my particular case I am donor conceived and simply do not feel comfortable with matches knowing who I am without my consent

I'm sorry I don't mean to be rude but YOU don't even know who you are. That is why you are participating in dna. And you won't ever know who you are without the co-operation of those who match you. If everyone felt the same way that you do about sharing your dna data, there would be no reason for anyone to test their dna at all. It only works if you share.

But after all is said, it is your choice, and it sounds like 23andme fits your requisites more than Ftdna. And I wish you good luck!

[Ann Turner]

Hi,

I am interested in moving over my results from 23andme.com to see what matches I have here. My question really pertains to privacy, it seems from what I have read that there are less controls than 23andme it seems like by default names and emails are sent for genetic matches.

I would like to remain anonymous and have the option to allow contact or not allow contact, can anyone state for sure if this is possible or have any further input on this subject?


TIA

You can use a pseudonym, I believe. At least I have a few people on my match list with just one or two initials. I also have a vague recollection that there is someone here who lists sperm donors and/or their children with a code number of some sort.

You must allow contact if you want to see your matches. However, you could obtain a special e-mail address with gmail or the like, then have mail forwarded to your regular e-mail.

[choff]

You can use a pseudonym, I believe. At least I have a few people on my match list with just one or two initials. I also have a vague recollection that there is someone here who lists sperm donors and/or their children with a code number of some sort.

You must allow contact if you want to see your matches. However, you could obtain a special e-mail address with gmail or the like, then have mail forwarded to your regular e-mail.

Thank you for the suggestion, by far the most helpful post instead of people telling me what I should do when they don't walk in my shoes.

[1_mke]

Nobody walks in anybody else's shoes so it's pretty much an N way street. Not criticizing you, just pointing out that this is a knife that cuts both ways.

I have a number of genetic mysteries to solve. Some I'm fairly confident that I've figured out. Those have been solved because people were willing to share information with me for which I am VERY grateful.

I have others that might be solved if others who match me would respond. They are in no way obligated to and I'm always very grateful when they do but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a wee bit disappointing when they don't.

[keigh]

Privacy options

If you want to remain private but still see matches, it does appear that you'll have to allow matches to see you. But all that means is that you sign into a new email account using a name you choose before you down-load your DNA test. You don't have to add surnames or a gedcom file. Keep an empty profile.

But the problem still exists that someone, somewhere may be informed that they have a parent-child/full sibling relationship match or a half sibling relationship match. If you don't want that to happen, don't download your test results because to see matches you have to been seen. At least that's what my reading of the test result release form states.

[JohnG]

Hi,

Sharing genealogy is great for karma. I just got this week a thank you from someone for a record I transcribed and posted to a mailing list over 10 years ago. :-)

I had a great example this week. I found I matched persons 1,2,3 and 4 and on the same segment of the same chromosome. Person 4 is a 4th cousin found in another DNA adventure. In the course of looking hard at trees I realized person 1 had an unusual surname in their list (no tree) and that I had another match (not in common) with that surname. Then I realized that person (5) had another odd surname in common with person 1 and a marriage of those two names. I introduced them and they went to town comparing 18th century English church records and finding they had relatives with those odd names in a 5 mile radius. I still have no idea how I relate to persons 1,2, 3, or 5 but I feel I accomplished something. Now with my match to person 4, I need to figure out how you got Spanish speaking Irish in the 1700s with Y chromosome J. Always more puzzles.

[Rebekah Canada]

I want to second this, and also second the original concern about privacy.

I was rather appalled to find that in some of the projects I have signed the kit I administer up to, the surname or even the full name of the person who tested is shown in the project list. I never authorized that disclosure from my account info and I feel quite strongly that this practice is not acceptable. When I realized this was being done, I anonymized the testees' names even further than I already had, by removing their surnames....

Hi,

Please report issues like this right away. You can always e-mail [email protected].

[travers]

I want to second this, and also second the original concern about privacy.

I was rather appalled to find that in some of the projects I have signed the kit I administer up to, the surname or even the full name of the person who tested is shown in the project list. I never authorized that disclosure from my account info and I feel quite strongly that this practice is not acceptable. When I realized this was being done, I anonymized the testees' names even further than I already had, by removing their surnames.

There are many reasons for wanting to maintain privacy. In the case of one of my testees, the surname is very unusual and the person's own name is unique. With the name alone, anyone who saw it could find his address and phone number and names and personal info about the rest of the family from a bit of googling.

I'm not sure why you would be appalled by this. If I'm understanding correctly the person's full name (the name they or you entered as the name associated with the account) is showing as such in the private members list for the project administrator on a project you joined. This is normal, what name would you expect to show other than the name that was chosen? This seems like common sense. The name chosen will also show to their matches within the private database and will be displayed in the genetic reports created within the private administrator GAP 2.0 page. For the public pages the names won't show, you can either chose to list by member's last name or most distant ancestor. Again I'm not sure what reason you would be appalled if you entered the name of the person into the database in the first place and the name isn't being displayed publicly?

[MMaddi]

Neither choff nor I expressed any desire to prevent matching or prevent anyone from contacting us about matches, and I've made it clear that I am actively searching for and contacting matches and assisting people who contact me.

It seemed to some of us that choff, the original poster, was looking for a way where he could remain invisible to his matches, yet he could see them and choose which to contact. As I and others pointed out, remaining private to matches is reciprocal. It would be fundamentally unfair and totally against the spirit of cooperation involved in successful genealogy research to have a one way matching situation.

But you quoted Ann Turner with the proper solution to your problem and choff's - anonymizing the contact information to protect privacy and still allow contact. Hopefully, choff will take that advice.

[Biblioteque]

AuntyDud: Your comment" Always remember that after 6 p.m., 50% of posters are drunk" somehow attacks the integrity of this forum.

Overall, our posters with their brilliant, analytical and knowledgeable minds, who with generosity give of their time to post, deserve an apology.

And, no, your use of "cardinal rule" is not a mitigation for your unfounded comment.