Public Perspectives on Investigative Genetic Genealogy: Findings from a National Focus Group Study

Abstract

Background

Investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) is a technique that involves uploading genotypes developed from perpetrator DNA left at a crime scene, or DNA from unidentified remains, to public genetic genealogy databases to identify genetic relatives and, through the creation of a family tree, the individual who was the source of the DNA. As policymakers demonstrate interest in regulating IGG, it is important to understand public perspectives on IGG to determine whether proposed policies are aligned with public attitudes.

Methods

We conducted eight focus groups with members of the public (N = 72), sampled from four geographically diverse US regions, to explore general attitudes and perspectives regarding aspects of IGG practices, applications, and policies. Five major topics were explored in each focus group: when IGG should be used; who should perform IGG; how to approach consent for genetic database users; what systems of oversight should govern IGG practitioners; and whether to notify database users if their data are involved in law enforcement (LE) matching.

Results

Participants were supportive of IGG in most scenarios, especially for cold and violent cases. The favorable attitudes toward IGG were, however, tempered by distrust of law enforcement among some participants. All participants agreed that databases must inform users if IGG is allowed, but they did not agree on how individual database users should be allowed to opt out or whether to notify them if their data are involved in specific investigations. All participants agreed that IGG should be subject to some prescriptive guidelines, regulations, or accountability mechanisms.

Conclusions

These findings suggest broad public support for IGG, and interest in developing systems of accountability for its practice. Our study provides useful insight for policy makers, genomic database stewards, law enforcement, and other stakeholders in IGG’s practice, and suggests multiple directions for future research.

Keywords:

• Investigative genetic genealogy
• forensic genetics
• focus groups
• public perspectives
• policy

Acknowledgements

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the research participants who made this work possible, Caroline Beit and CeCe Moore for their work on the original video shown to participants, and Sago, formerly Schlesinger Group, for helping with participant recruitment.

Disclosure statement

C.J.G. and S.M.F. are members of the Investigative Genetic Genealogy Working Group of the Scientific Working Group on DNA Analysis Methods. C.J.G. is also a member of the Policy and Practice Subcommittee of the National Technology Validation and Implementation Collaborative Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy Technical Validation Working Group and a member of the Advisory Board of the Investigative Genetic Genealogy Accreditation Board. A.L.M is a former member of the FamilyTreeDNA Citizen’s Panel.

Data availability statement

Due to the potential to re-identify participants, our data are not available. However, our focus group guide, codebook, participant survey, and the transcript of the original video shown to participants is available in the supplemental materials.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the National Human Genome Research Institute of the National Institutes of Health under award number R01HG011268. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health, the authors’ employers, or any institutions with which they are or have been affiliated.