Hosted by Michael Tormey, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
 

 


Privacy Policy and Comments Regarding Genealogy and Internet Safety


As you read through the pages of this website, you will notice that most information is historical in nature -- some going back literally hundreds of years. It is the goal of this site that peoples' lives be enhanced by the information published herein
. Care is taken, therefore, to protect the privacy of family members and other site visitors.

As such, the Tormey Family History Website will not publish information that would be considered sensitive, private or potentially harmful if it fell into the wrong hands.

Genealogical records contained herein are focused on older generations. No identifying information will be published for any individual who is currently living. In rare cases where there is mention of children existing on a family group sheet and such children are living, the word "living" would be used in lieu of an actual name.

Likewise, email addresses of site visitors will not be published, unless specifically requested or otherwise authorized. (Note, however, that site visitors utilizing our message board will need to include their email address in order to be contacted by others who wish to respond to their posting.)

For additional information on our policies and internet safety issues relating to genealogy websites, please read the following...

 

What are the risks posed by genealogy websites and why is it important, therefore, to have a privacy policy?


Identity theft and credit fraud are some of the fastest growing crimes in today's world. Unfortunately, many amateur genealogists, unaware of the risks of such crimes, have posted very personal information on their websites, making it easier for unscrupulous individuals to cause harm with such personal information.

With the growing popularity of personal homepages and genealogy related websites, genealogists and webmasters should adopt a strict standard of privacy. Furthermore, when publishing or sharing genealogy files, one should take care to remove all data on any living individuals (dates of birth, places of birth, etc.). There are several software programs available today that were specifically created to help genealogists "clean" their online and shared files of all such personal information. Two common programs are GED Clean and GEDPrivy. Please visit their websites for more information on obtaining their programs.

 

What type of information is considered unsafe?


The types of personal information that identity thieves and credit fraud perpetrators crave are full names, social security numbers, dates of birth, places of birth, mother's maiden name, occupation and employment information, etc. One fact alone about an individual is rarely enough to cause damage. The danger is in letting all such personal facts fall into the wrong hands.

 

What is the Tormey Family History Website's policy regarding such personal information?


The goal of any serious genealogist is to both assemble the pieces of the puzzle that represent his/her family tree, and preserve such information for generations to come. With the goal of assembling complete and accurate family trees, Fellow Researchers contributing to this site do collect personal information (such as full names, dates of birth and places of birth, etc.) from family members and distant cousins. As noted above, however, this website will never publish such personal, identifying information.

 

 
 
 
Related Links of Interest...
 

 

 
 

 

Genealogy Records: MD Tormeys

 

Detailed Family Group Sheets and Pedigree Charts of various Maryland Tormeys extending back five generations...

» Read more

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 


Tormey Family History Website
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