Posted on 04/27/2018 1:37:58 PM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The genealogy website used to find the man accused of being California's Golden State Killer had no idea its database was tapped in pursuit of a suspect who eluded law enforcement for four decades, the site co-founder said Friday.
Authorities never approached Florida-based GEDmatch about the case, and Curtis Rogers said law enforcement's use of the site raised privacy concerns that were echoed by civil liberties groups.
The free genealogy website, which pools DNA profiles that people upload and share publicly to find relatives, said it has always informed users its database can be used for other purposes. But Rogers said the company does not "hand out data."
"This was done without our knowledge, and it's been overwhelming," he told The Associated Press.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
He should be proud......................
I’m glad they caught the guy, but not glad that Big Brother has grown too big for his britches.
The scary aspect of this is when Democrats take over and offer universal healthcare or something similar. Government limiting babies to couples with clean genes. Refusing medicine based on faulty DNA markers.
Or maybe insurance agencies refusing to insure you based on a distant relative’s DNA. There are all kinds of weird and scary stuff that can branch from this collection and collation of DNA.
Weasel BS Alert!
It will spawn a whole new industry of the genetically advantaged selling their spittle.
Fruit of poisoned tree
DNA profiles that people upload and share publicly to find relatives, said it has always informed users its database can be used for other purposes.
I did not know that. I guess I won’t get my DNA test then.
As curious I am about my ancestry, this s**t is EXACTLY why I will NEVER send my DNA to ANYONE!!!
Would be cool if he said....Mark Zucky’s people helped me put the site together.
I’m sure the government has the entire DNA database so they didn’t have to go to the DNA site itself.
Ironically, someone told me a couple months ago that he could foresee LE uploading DNA on GEDmatch exactly for this purpose
People voluntarily give up their DNA to these companies, with no guarantees of privacy..............
So is Elizabeth Warren an Indian or not............we have the technology !
You have already “sent” your DNA...it’s too late.
Unless you have lived in a cave with no contact with anyone, you are marked as we all have been.
But if a relative provides DNA they give up your privacy along with theirs with no guarantees. Three or four family members can give up the privacy of dozens of family members without their knowledge.
Without MY DNA there is no match.....................
No 100% match, but they can get family DNA matches to your family members, which points at you - and then they get a warrant for *your* DNA.
DNA is not quite like fingerprints where each persons’ is different. There are family commonalities in each DNA sample that are discernable and trackable.
Finding lost relative is cool.
But do they want to be found?
Don’t want to be found, don’t go looking up your ancestry. Ancestry sites run off public records and for living persons, *what the users themselves submit*. Your chances of being found (as in geographically located) by DNA alone go way down if your relatives don’t know where you are *and* you don’t frigging use an ancestry site to research your ancestors.
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