What to Know About Privacy on TribalPages

TribalPages sites are built to share family history, but the same features that make them useful for relatives can also expose information about living people. The practical takeaway: treat every page as potentially public unless you have confirmed otherwise, and review your site's privacy settings before adding details about anyone still alive. The exact controls available depend on your account and the settings shown in your site's admin area, so verify them directly rather than assuming a default level of protection.

Why genealogy data is more sensitive than it looks

A family tree rarely contains only names and dates. It often accumulates:

• Full names and maiden names of living relatives
• Birth dates and places, which are common identity-verification answers
• Home addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses
• Photos of living people, including children
• Notes about health, adoption, or family disputes

Individually these seem harmless. Combined, they can support identity theft, unwanted contact, or simply information a relative never agreed to share. Deceased ancestors carry little risk; living people are where privacy problems concentrate.

What to check on your own site

Because TribalPages settings vary by account type and site configuration, work through these checks in your site's administration area rather than relying on a general description:

1. Find the privacy or security section. Look for settings labeled privacy, access, or visibility in your site management pages.
2. Determine who can currently view the site. Confirm whether it is open to anyone, restricted to invited visitors, or protected by a password.
3. Check whether living people are hidden. Many genealogy platforms offer an option to suppress details for people marked as living. If that option exists on your site, confirm it is on.
4. Review any password or invitation list. Remove people who should no longer have access, and change the password if it has been shared widely.
5. Search the site as a visitor would. Open it in a private browser window or while logged out to see exactly what an uninvited visitor sees.

The expected result of step 5 is the most useful test: it shows your real exposure rather than your intended one.

Deciding what to publish

A simple rule that works for most family historians: publish freely about people who have died, and be deliberate about anyone living.

If a relative asks you to remove their information, do it. Genealogy sites are collaborative, and one person's discomfort is a good enough reason to restrict a record.

Sharing links and invitations

A common mistake is assuming a private site stays private. If you email a link or password to a group, it can be forwarded. Practical habits:

• Send invitations individually rather than to a mailing list.
• Avoid posting site links in public forums or social media groups.
• Change the password periodically, and immediately if you are unsure who has it.
• Keep a short list of who has access so you can revoke it.

When you need help

TribalPages provides its own security-related documentation and support channels. If you cannot find a setting, look for a help, support, or contact link on the site itself, and describe your specific question — for example, "how do I hide living people" or "how do I change my site password." Support can confirm what your particular account supports, which is more reliable than any general guide, including this one.

A reasonable baseline

• Confirm your site's current visibility before adding new information.
• Hide or omit details for living people wherever the platform allows it.
• Review your visitor list and password at least once a year.
• Test what a logged-out visitor can see.
• Honor removal requests from relatives without argument.

Privacy on a genealogy site is not a one-time setup. It is a habit of checking what you have published and who can reach it.