Society for Science & the Public, which publishes Science News, uses cookies to personalize your experience and improve our services. For more information on how we use cookies on our websites, visit our Cookie Policy.
News Genetics

Why using genetic genealogy to solve crimes could pose problems

Some worry that authorities could violate people’s rights using the method

a crime scene

DNA DETECTION  Police are using DNA in new ways in crime investigations: to probe family trees in public genealogy databases for suspects. The technique, called genetic genealogy, raises privacy concerns. 

Couperfield/Shutterstock

By Tina Hesman Saey

This article is only available to Science News subscribers.

Subscribers, enter your e-mail address to access our archives.

Not a subscriber?

Science News is a nonprofit.

Support us by subscribing now.

More Stories from Science News on Genetics

  1. human skeletons
    Humans

    DNA indicates how ancient migrations shaped South Asian languages and farming

    By Bruce Bower
  2. Denisovan finger bone
    Anthropology

    This ancient Denisovan finger bone is surprisingly humanlike

    By Bruce Bower
  3. gay couple
    Genetics

    There’s no evidence that a single ‘gay gene’ exists

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  4. Skeleton Lake
    Humans

    India’s Skeleton Lake contains the bones of mysterious European migrants

    By Bruce Bower
  5. DNA scissors
    Life

    CRISPR enters its first human clinical trials

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  6. Pufferfish
    Animals

    There’s more to pufferfish than that goofy spiked balloon

    By Susan Milius
  7. protein microscopy
    Genetics

    This gene may help worms live longer, but not healthier

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  8. beetles
    Animals

    Ground beetle genitals have the genetic ability to get strange. They don’t

    By Susan Milius

From the Nature Index

Paid Content