Here is the current discrepancies and "potentially problematic areas of the current WikiTrees Policies surrounding Living Noteables and other related and relevant policies:
Reviewing the privacy, marriage policy, and living notable policies of WikiTree as described, several areas could potentially lead to discrepancies, ambiguities, or challenges in the fair application of policies:
1. **Consent and Privacy for Living Individuals**: The overarching principle requires explicit consent for publicizing information on living individuals, yet exceptions for public figures are made based on assumptions of implicit consent. This distinction could create ambiguity in determining the threshold for "highly-visible public figures" and what constitutes as "safe to assume" consent.
2. **Management and Protection of Living Notable Profiles**: While it is stated that profiles of living notables are to be tightly managed with privacy protections exceeding those of other websites, the criteria for determining who qualifies as a notable figure rely heavily on external factors like Wikipedia articles. This reliance may not always align with WikiTree's mission or privacy standards, especially when Wikipedia's notability and privacy standards evolve.
3. **Eligibility Requirements for Living Notables**: The specific criteria (age, Wikipedia article in three languages, inclusion of nuclear family members) could be seen as arbitrary and may not comprehensively cover all individuals who should qualify as notables under WikiTree's mission. Additionally, the requirement for information on nuclear family members could potentially conflict with privacy standards, especially if those family members have not consented to their information being publicized.
4. **Privacy Settings and Personal Content**: The policy suggests certain privacy settings for living notable profiles but also allows for detailed personal information to be included in biographies if it meets specific content requirements. This could lead to inconsistencies in privacy protection, especially in the interpretation of what information is considered acceptable to share.
5. **Marriage Privacy and Public Family Tree Proposals**: The proposed changes to the "Private with Public Family Tree" setting, and the handling of marriage visibility, introduce complexity that may not align seamlessly with existing privacy practices. For instance, the automatic application of "Do not display" flags to marriages, with the option for manual adjustment, could complicate the consistent application of privacy settings across profiles.
6. **Implementation and Oversight**: The policies place significant responsibility on WikiTree Projects and their members to manage notable profiles and enforce privacy protections. This decentralized approach could lead to variability in how policies are implemented, potentially resulting in inconsistencies or gaps in privacy protection.
7. **Removal of Living Notables and Privacy Requests**: The process for notables or their representatives to request changes or removals seems straightforward, but the criteria for third-party requests and the handling of disputes over privacy could be clearer. The balance between assuming consent for public figures and respecting individual privacy requests could lead to challenges in policy application.
In summary, while WikiTree's policies demonstrate a strong commitment to privacy and responsible management of notable profiles, the interplay between consent, privacy settings, the criteria for notability, and the management of personal and family information may result in areas of ambiguity or inconsistency. Addressing these potential discrepancies could involve clarifying the criteria for notability and consent, ensuring consistent application of privacy settings across all profiles, and possibly streamlining the processes for managing privacy requests and notable profile oversight.
Here is s draft rough copy of the change Im suggesting we submit. Let me know if there is anything that was missed or issues you would like to have addressed that were overlooked or requires further clarification.**Policy Change Proposal: Display of Highly Public Living Notables and Their Spouses**
**Introduction**
The current WikiTree policies on privacy and the display of information for living notables and their spouses aim to balance the respect for individual privacy with the public interest in genealogical data. However, there is a recognition that for certain highly public figures, the information restricted by WikiTree is already widely available to the public through reputable and easily accessible sources. This proposal seeks to adjust the existing policies to more pragmatically reflect the public availability of information on these individuals, while still upholding WikiTree’s commitment to privacy and consent.
**Proposal Overview**
1. **Clarification of Highly Public Living Notables**: Define "Highly Public Living Notables" as individuals who have a significant public profile due to their professional achievements, public service, or notable activities, and whose personal and familial information is extensively documented in public, reputable sources outside of WikiTree.
2. **Consent Assumption for Highly Public Information**: For these individuals, WikiTree will assume implicit consent for the display of personal information that is widely available in the public domain (e.g., information commonly found in public media, official documents available to the public, or information the individual has personally shared in public forums).
3. **Attached Spouses**: The policy adjustment will extend to the spouses of highly public living notables, where their marriage and basic personal information are widely known and reported in the public domain. This will allow the display of their relationship and basic, non-sensitive information on WikiTree.
4. **Safeguards and Limitations**:
- The display of information will be limited to basic personal details (names, professional achievements, public roles, and notable activities) and the fact of their marriage, excluding sensitive personal data (exact birthdates, addresses, etc.).
- Any information displayed must have been reported by at least three independent, reputable sources in the public domain.
- WikiTree members must provide citations for all publicly available information displayed on these profiles.
5. **Review and Removal Process**:
- A dedicated review process will be established for profiles under this policy to ensure compliance with the updated guidelines.
- Living notables and their spouses, or their authorized representatives, can request the review or removal of their information from WikiTree at any time, with WikiTree committing to promptly address such requests.
6. **Implementation and Oversight**:
- A special committee or designated project team within WikiTree will oversee the implementation of this policy, including the initial application of the policy to existing profiles and the review of new profiles created under this policy.
- This team will also handle disputes, appeals, and requests related to the display of information under this policy.
**Conclusion**
This proposal seeks to update WikiTree’s privacy and information display policies to more accurately reflect the realities of information availability for highly public living notables and their spouses. By acknowledging the widespread availability of certain information, WikiTree can provide a more comprehensive and useful genealogical resource without compromising on its core values of privacy and respect for individuals. This policy change will enable WikiTree to adapt to the evolving landscape of information sharing, while maintaining robust mechanisms for privacy protection and consent.
