I don't know about the copyright issues on this subject, but the SSDI is government information freely available to all. If this person whose message you quote is concerned about invasion of a family's privacy, his/her issue is with the government's making this list available to begin with. Rootsweb is not the first to publish this index, and probably won't be the last. I myself am not concerned (after all, it is an index of deceased people) and welcomed the opportunity to be able to correct the record on my father, which had 3 major errors. Toby Hekler [email protected] It is an index I have used often, and has much useful information for genealogists. ----- Original Message ----- From: Linda Warrenburg <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, September 02, 1999 5:42 PM Subject: Fw: SSDI & Privacy Rights > I don't know if this is the place to bring a question like this, but I am > interested in getting some feed-back on this subjuct. Everyone here seems > so knowledgeable on the subject of copyrights that I thought maybe you > could give some light on this matter. > Linda Warrenburg > [email protected] > > > Sent: Thursday, September 02, 1999 2:12 PM > Subject: SSDI & Privacy Rights > > > > To Anyone With Assistance: > > > > Regarding the availability on the web for use and abuse of SSDI > > information, esp. SS#'s and last place > > of benefit info, what are our rights, cautions, etc, as genealogists? > > > > This was in my mailbox this am, and it greatly concerns me, especially > > since it is "apparently" being > > SET UP and CONDONED by ROOTSWEB???? > > > > What do you all think of this? > > > > I feel it is an abominable invasion of family privacy! > > And, I am wondering... Is Rootsweb then, a Company???? Information > > Technology ???? > > > > [email protected] > > *********** > > > > "The latest issue of Rootsweb Review (vol 2, #35) has this suggestion for > > use of the SSDI: > > > > POST-EMs.