Posted on 05/31/2021 6:06:56 PM PDT by Theoria
Thanks for this info, and I agree totally with you!:
“The Montana one doesn’t mean that they have to get individual consumers’ permission, but that if the consumers have not waived their right to privacy as part of subscribing to a genealogy database service (and most of these services *do* require that as part of the terms of service) they have to go get a warrant to search the database as a whole. Which is as it should be; police should have to get search warrants to check any private medical or genealogical database instead of just trolling it at any time because they feel like it.”
They also look at mitochondrial DNA, passed on from mother to child. This actually stays identifiable through thousands of generations, passed down through the female line. (Males cannot pass this on.)
Parabon utilizes gedmatch for their investigations. Users must opt in for use in law enforcement purposes. If you don’t want your DNA used, don’t opt in.
Btw, the murderer of a childhood friend of mine was identified as a suspect in a string of unsolved murders. Evidence from the crime was uploaded to CODIS, as well as evidence from the unsolved murders. He was convicted in 1 of the cases. These were cases that were unsolved for 30+ years.
Yup - DNA databases are the classic double edged sword. Care must be used. :P
I would take a guess that most of the recent testers on ancestry are either adoptees or people with family mysteries, unknown or questionable paternity. The word is out that there’s a surefire way to figure it out. Unfortunately, many people thought that they could take their secrets to the grave.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.