Friday, May 4, 2018

DNA and Crime Fighting - A New Ethical Dilemma

It has been in the news recently that Californian police used DNA samples from genealogy website GEDmatch to help identify the Golden State Killer, the criminal believed to be behind at least 12 murders, 46 rapes and hundreds of break-ins in California in the 1970s and 1980s.  A distant relative of the suspect had used the genealogy site to learn more about his family history, little knowing it would later be used in a murder investigation.
The fact that DNA in a genealogy database has been used in such a manner has raised many questions about privacy and the ethical use of  such information, and has sent many DNA-testing genealogy companies scrambling to reassure users about their privacy policies.  While many people might be happy for their DNA to be used to catch and convict a killer, there are still questions about informed consent and legal use.  Will people want to upload their DNA to genealogy websites if it could one day incriminate their children—or their children’s children’s children?
DNA tests have gained popularity in Australia over the last few years for people wanting to know the ins and outs of their family history and ethnic make-up.  Family Tree DNA, 23andMe, AncestryDNA and MyHeritage DNA are among the testing services that say they can give you an insight on your origins.  But when you ship off your saliva to get your data, who actually owns your DNA, and what can they do with it?
The commercial DNA testing companies generally have privacy policies designed to protect data from being used for other purposes, but these do not apply to GEDmatch, which is a free public database where users upload the results of DNA tests from other companies.  A spokesperson for 23andMe, for example, stated: "23andMe's policies prohibit the company from voluntarily working with law enforcement."
In their statement, GEDmatch said that it was not approached by law enforcement about the case, but that it had a policy of informing users that the database could be used for other purposes.  "While the database was created for genealogical research, it is important that GEDmatch participants understand the possible uses of their DNA, including identification of relatives that have committed crimes or were victims of crimes," it added.  "If you are concerned about non-genealogical uses of your DNA, you should not upload your DNA to the database and/or you should remove DNA that has already been uploaded."
The ethical use of DNA is a rising issue today that is not easily resolved, and will be the subject of debate and concern for years to come.  While the major genealogy companies do have measures in place to ensure their user's privacy, there will always be questions about privacy, legal use and security.  Bottom line - always read the terms and conditions before you send off your test kit, and be sure you are prepared to accept them.

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