Review of policies of companies and databases regarding access to customers' genealogy data for law enforcement purposes
- Author
- Sevasti Skeva, Maarten H. D. Larmuseau and Mahsa Shabani (UGent)
- Organization
- Abstract
- The rapidly evolving popularity of direct-to-consumer genetic genealogy companies has made it possible to retrieve genomic information for unintended reasons by third parties, including the emerging use for law enforcement purposes. The question remains whether users of direct-to-consumer genetic genealogy companies and genealogical databases are aware that their genetic and/or genealogical data could be used as means to solving forensic cases. Our review of 22 companies’ and databases’ policies showed that only four companies have provided additional information on how law enforcement agencies should request permission to use their services for law enforcement purposes. Moreover, two databases have adopted a different approach by providing a special service for law enforcement. Although all companies and databases included in the study provide at least some provisions about police access, there is an ongoing debate over the ethics of these practices, and how to balance users’ privacy with law enforcement requests.
- Keywords
- consumer genomics databases, data protection, DNA data, forensic genealogy, genetic genealogy companies, long-range familial searches, nonforensic databases, privacy, FUTURE, DNA
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Citation
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication: http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-8650977
- MLA
- Skeva, Sevasti, et al. “Review of Policies of Companies and Databases Regarding Access to Customers’ Genealogy Data for Law Enforcement Purposes.” PERSONALIZED MEDICINE, vol. 17, no. 2, 2020, pp. 141–53, doi:10.2217/pme-2019-0100.
- APA
- Skeva, S., Larmuseau, M. H. D., & Shabani, M. (2020). Review of policies of companies and databases regarding access to customers’ genealogy data for law enforcement purposes. PERSONALIZED MEDICINE, 17(2), 141–153. https://doi.org/10.2217/pme-2019-0100
- Chicago author-date
- Skeva, Sevasti, Maarten H. D. Larmuseau, and Mahsa Shabani. 2020. “Review of Policies of Companies and Databases Regarding Access to Customers’ Genealogy Data for Law Enforcement Purposes.” PERSONALIZED MEDICINE 17 (2): 141–53. https://doi.org/10.2217/pme-2019-0100.
- Chicago author-date (all authors)
- Skeva, Sevasti, Maarten H. D. Larmuseau, and Mahsa Shabani. 2020. “Review of Policies of Companies and Databases Regarding Access to Customers’ Genealogy Data for Law Enforcement Purposes.” PERSONALIZED MEDICINE 17 (2): 141–153. doi:10.2217/pme-2019-0100.
- Vancouver
- 1.Skeva S, Larmuseau MHD, Shabani M. Review of policies of companies and databases regarding access to customers’ genealogy data for law enforcement purposes. PERSONALIZED MEDICINE. 2020;17(2):141–53.
- IEEE
- [1]S. Skeva, M. H. D. Larmuseau, and M. Shabani, “Review of policies of companies and databases regarding access to customers’ genealogy data for law enforcement purposes,” PERSONALIZED MEDICINE, vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 141–153, 2020.
@article{8650977,
abstract = {{The rapidly evolving popularity of direct-to-consumer genetic genealogy companies has made it possible to retrieve genomic information for unintended reasons by third parties, including the emerging use for law enforcement purposes. The question remains whether users of direct-to-consumer genetic genealogy companies and genealogical databases are aware that their genetic and/or genealogical data could be used as means to solving forensic cases. Our review of 22 companies’ and databases’ policies showed that only four companies have provided additional information on how law enforcement agencies should request permission to use their services for law enforcement purposes. Moreover, two databases have adopted a different approach by providing a special service for law enforcement. Although all companies and databases included in the study provide at least some provisions about police access, there is an ongoing debate over the ethics of these practices, and how to balance users’ privacy with law enforcement requests.}},
author = {{Skeva, Sevasti and Larmuseau, Maarten H. D. and Shabani, Mahsa}},
issn = {{1741-0541}},
journal = {{PERSONALIZED MEDICINE}},
keywords = {{consumer genomics databases,data protection,DNA data,forensic genealogy,genetic genealogy companies,long-range familial searches,nonforensic databases,privacy,FUTURE,DNA}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{2}},
pages = {{141--153}},
title = {{Review of policies of companies and databases regarding access to customers' genealogy data for law enforcement purposes}},
url = {{http://doi.org/10.2217/pme-2019-0100}},
volume = {{17}},
year = {{2020}},
}
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