Display of Social Security information of deceased persons on the FamilySearch website
Your concern about the use of Social Security information is understandable. Please know that FamilySearch respects the privacy rights of individuals and adheres to relevant laws governing the protection of personal data.
The U.S. Social Security Administration ("SSA") is legally obligated to release death information. This information—known as the SSA Death Master File or U.S. Social Security Death Index (“SSA Death Index”)—is a public record and is not protected by the Privacy Act of 1974, as that Act applies to living persons only. [See 20 CFR Ch. III (4-1-09 Edition) §401.190.] Because this information is a public record whose disclosure is authorized by federal law, displaying such information is also permissible under state laws protecting an individual’s personal data.
FamilySearch acquires the SSA Death Index through public subscription. The database is not owned or administered by FamilySearch. It is owned, produced, and distributed by the SSA. In subscribing to the SSA Death Index, FamilySearch has agreed to abide by SSA requirements that include posting the most current updates from SSA regularly without making modifications. (See http://dmf.ntis.gov/requirements.html .) As a subscriber, FamilySearch is authorized to post the SSA Death Index at FamilySearch.org.
The SSA Death Index may have inaccuracies, and neither FamilySearch nor the SSA guarantees its accuracy. The SSA recommends that complaints and corrections be submitted to a local Social Security office or by phone at 1-800-772-1213. The SSA may remove the data or update the SSA Death Index. These changes will then be reflected in the copy posted at FamilySearch.org.
Many other organizations use the SSA Death Index. For example, government, financial, investigative, credit reporting, medical research, and other industries use it to verify identity, prevent fraud, or enforce the USA Patriot Act. The SSA Death Index provides quick and easy notification that a person is deceased and has proven to be a key deterrent of identity theft. It enables health care providers and researchers to track patients and study subjects. It helps pension funds, insurance companies, and governments determine when payments to annuitants or retirees should cease. And genealogical societies use it to help individuals search for deceased loved ones. The SSA Death Index provides vital data on deceased individuals from 1970 to the present and acts as a national death registry akin to the death indexes published by the British government as part of that country’s civil registration system. You will find that the SSA Death Index is posted on most major genealogy websites, in addition to FamilySearch.org.
It is not the intention of FamilySearch to cause you anxiety. Hopefully, these details help alleviate your concerns regarding the protection of personal information and the compliance of FamilySearch with federal and state law. Please feel free to contact the SSA if you believe there is an error or other circumstance warranting a change to the information of your loved one in the SSA Death Index.
Related articles
Where is the Social Security Death Index (SSDI)?
Can I correct the Social Security Death Index (SSDI)?