If you have a profile created as living, which you change to deceased, it will automatically be changed to Public.
If you create a profile as deceased - then it is your responsibility to see if it was created as Public or Private, and if it was not created as you wish, to change the Privacy Status.
That Geni changed the default on Profiles created as Deceased was announced, and is discussed, here: https://www.geni.com/discussions/181847
