Can anyone change my status to "deceased"?
What policies and procedures are in place to prevent someone with a nefarious intent from changing my status to "deceased" and access my private information?
Answers
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Matthew
Welcome to the "Community.FamilySearch" Forum.
I am just another 'lowly' User/Patron ...
As far as I was aware ...
[ And, ONLY referencing the 'lowly' Users/Patrons, NOT the "Administration" of 'FamilySearch' ... ]
[ and, IF, you are a Member of the Church; THEN, NOT, the 'Church', in relation to your Membership Record ]
NO Other User/Patron, can access YOUR ("Personal") 'FamilySearch' Account.
So ...
That Said ...
NO Other User/Patron, can access YOUR ("Personal") 'FamilySearch' Account, to "Change", your actual 'Status', from "Living", to "Deceased".
Here are some "Knowledge Articles" in 'FamilySearch':
How does Family Tree protect the privacy of living people?
https://www.familysearch.org/help/helpcenter/article/what-is-a-private-space-in-family-tree
And ...
Can I add memories about my living relatives to Family Tree?
Who can view the items uploaded in Memories for living people?
https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/who-can-view-the-items-uploaded-to-memories
What are private memories?
https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/what-are-private-memories
How do I make a memory private?
https://www.familysearch.org/en/help/helpcenter/article/how-do-i-make-a-memory-private
Plus ...
What rules apply to uploading memories to FamilySearch.org?
How do I report abuse, spam, inappropriate memories, and other content?
Now ...
All That Said ...
Another User/Patron CAN enter/create "You"; as, an individual/person, in "Family Tree", of 'FamilySearch', with the 'Status' of "Deceased".
It can happen ...
And, apart from (as you indicate), "... with a nefarious intent ..."
We ALL make MISTAKES ...
NONE of us are PERFECT ...
IF, you find yourself (or, you find another person, that you know), to be "Living", in "Family Tree", of 'FamilySearch'; as, "Deceased"; THEN, it is a SIMPLE matter, of "Changing" the 'Status' of "Death", from "Deceased", to "Living", add a "Reason Statement" (ie. "Reason This Information Is Correct:"); and, "Save".
Although, the 'Status' DOES NOT "Change" IMMEDIATELY ...
Your "Edit" (ie. in fact a "Request"), go DIRECTLY to 'FamilySearch' "Support".
'FamilySearch' "Support" will investigate; and, provided they agree, with you; which, I am certainly the will (in just about every case; except, if you are referencing another individual/person, other than yourself), 'FamilySearch' "Support" CHANGES the 'Status', from "Deceased", to "Living"; and, you DO NOT 'see' that "Version" of yourself; as, it then goes into the "Private Spaces" of the User/patron who "Created" it. This may take a day or two (unless, there is a significant 'Backlog'.
Of course, you could just contact (ie. "Message") the Other User/Patron who created that "Version" of you, let them know that you are actually "Living"; and, request that they "Change" the 'Status', from "Deceased", to "Living". This DOES in MANY cases, actually work (generally, with humble apologies); but, may take time.
The former action, of you yourself, "Changing" the 'Status', from "Deceased", to "Living", is often much faster; and, you know, it WILL get actioned.
Here is a "knowledge Article", 'FamilySearch':
How do I change the status from deceased to living in Family Tree?
I hope that this all helps/assists, somewhat.
Brett
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Though it may be true that no one can access Matthews personal account and access his private information.
that doesn't prevent someone else from entering a Family Tree Record for Matthew and marking that record as deceased. (which is what I assume Matthew was alluding to)
BUT Brett is totally right - doing such - - does NOT in any way give them (or anyone) access to your private info under your private account - which is still linked to a LIVING person record in your private space (and not the same record that someone else may have created and even marked as deceased under the same name)
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My last living uncle shows up as Deceased now. Not yet heard from the cousins to see when and what happened, so I wrote the contact in Family Search. They had no details. He was fine, but old two years ago, so how do I verify he is really deceased and get a date. In FamilySearch there are no details, date, family info or anything as if he is still living.
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Seems at least a date should be required to change the status to Deceased, so that temple work can be submitted. Since we had several in the family over 100 years old, including this uncle, we need to verify his death to prepare temple work, if it isn't already done (can't see in family search because it seems as if he is still living, as we thought) although it shows deceased.
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Please note FamilySearch is used by probably just as many NON LDS as LDS (references to temple work)
There are plenty of cases where a person is known to be deceased when an exact death date is not known .
For that reason FS doesn't prevent you from entering a deceased person without a death date. (but you mark them with a "deceased" flag.
For LDS temple work - yes - even if you dont know an exact death date - you can still enter something like
"About 2020" or "before "2010" etc. to get past the 1 year rule.
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as to the original question
NO ONE can see or edit or change a profile for a LIVING person that YOU have entered into FamilySearch.
BUT there is nothing preventing them from creating their OWN record - and marking it deceased - thus making it part of the collaborative database (but doing so has NO IMPACT on the record YOU have have for any living person under your account ) even if the two different records are representative of the same person, (just two different records - one in your private space marked as living - and another record that someone else may have entered - whaever private info you have entered is kept as private)
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