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Framed for Murder By His Own DNA - how your DNA can end up somewhere you've never been, and why DNA evidence may not be as trustworthy as one might think.
This morning on NPR, there was a discussion about how law enforcement agencies are using public(?) DNA databases to look for people related to criminals, in an effort at tracking them down. Or something like that; I didn't hear the whole segment. (I found it online, but still don't have time to listen to it now: On Point: A DNA Database Helped Find A Suspected Serial Killer. How Is Your Privacy Affected? ) One person said they aren't only doing it for serious crimes like rape and murder; checking for DNA is so common now, they may be doing it even for burglary or theft, etc.
That is indeed something I did not consider when getting my DNA analyzed by 23andme. That if any of my relatives committed a crime, that my DNA could help implicate them. Not that it's necessarily a bad thing, but it is something that could be abused by people in power.
This morning on NPR, there was a discussion about how law enforcement agencies are using public(?) DNA databases to look for people related to criminals, in an effort at tracking them down. Or something like that; I didn't hear the whole segment. (I found it online, but still don't have time to listen to it now: On Point: A DNA Database Helped Find A Suspected Serial Killer. How Is Your Privacy Affected? ) One person said they aren't only doing it for serious crimes like rape and murder; checking for DNA is so common now, they may be doing it even for burglary or theft, etc.
That is indeed something I did not consider when getting my DNA analyzed by 23andme. That if any of my relatives committed a crime, that my DNA could help implicate them. Not that it's necessarily a bad thing, but it is something that could be abused by people in power.