This Can’t Be Good: Genealogy Companies Say They’re Willing to Give Law Enforcement Your DNA
By Angela Helm,
The Root
| 11. 19. 2017
We all have those people in our family or close circle who are just like Martin Lawrence’s character in Boomerang: They “here” on all the conspiracies—from being certain that microwaves cause sterility in black men (or is it White Owls?) to obsessively covering up the cameras on their laptops. These are the folks who would never, ever, ever, ever give up their genetic material to one of those popular genealogy testing companies because “the man might get my God gene.”
But as crazy as they sometimes may sound, a new report reveals that police can acquire your DNA from said companies—who actually say they would be willing to provide it!
This can’t be good for black folks.
WJAX-TV reports that companies such as 23andMe and Ancestry.com would be willing to give police access to your DNA if they have a warrant. Further, police would also be able to obtain DNA from a family member to make a “familial match.”
23andMe says it has yet to turn over any genetic information but would do so if provided a warrant; Ancestry.com reportedly...
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