In 2018, it’s pretty much safe to assume that when you’re putting private information online, it’s not private. Case in point, the Golden State Killer suspect in custody was found via GEDMatch.
On the website, people upload their DNA profiles and basically share them online. So, they get a test through a company like 23andme or Ancestry.com.
Then, they load the results online for people to see. According to CBS News, investigators matched DNA from the crime-scene DNA with genetic material stored by a relative on GEDMatch. Some people are angry because they see this as a violation of privacy.
The Use Of Public Data Sites Like GEDMatch
My take? If you post your DNA on a free website accessible to the public, expect it to be viewed and used and police. Especially after the success in finding a Golden State Killer suspect.
As law professor Erin Murphy says, “It seems crazy to say a police officer investigating a very serious crime can’t do something your cousin can do on a Tuesday,” Murphy said. “If an ordinary person can do this, why can’t a cop?”
I think everyone probably has a take on this. What’s yours?