GENEALOGY: Law restricts access to personal information
Kenneth H. Thomas Jr. - For the Journal-Constitution
Thursday, July 19, 2001
A Georgia law went into effect July 1 that has caused the Georgia Department
of Archives and History to post the following notice: "State law requires
that certain personal information be removed from records before they are
made available to the public. Social Security numbers (of all persons), and
birth date and mother's birth name (of living persons) may not be released.
Access to records containing this information will be delayed or restricted.
Primarily, researchers may expect delays or restrictions on unpublished
biographical questionnaire files, some property tax digests, genealogical
folders (one of their greatest collections, dating back to the 1920s), and
portions of some manuscript collections."
This new law does not restrict published materials, court records or
research by government officials.
The archives reference staff is hoping to find a way to deal with this
effectively. What this means is that genealogical materials that have long
been open for public use are now being closed due to the increasing issue of
identity theft.
http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/epaper/editions/thursday/gwinnett_b36548fe0
1d6f10f1051.html
RAY THIGPEN
GAGenWeb, USGenWeb
County Coordinator for:
Warren County, Georgia
McDuffie County, Georgia
http://www.rootsweb.com/~gawarren
http://www.rootsweb.com/~gamcduff