Quote:
Originally Posted by legion
This is exactly why I won't send my DNA to those sites.
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The problem is,
you don't need to send your DNA into anywhere to be traced. This case, and others, was based on familial DNA analysis which only requires that someone related to you has
their DNA in a database. Though DeAngelo was traced through a private ancestry company, he could have just as easily have been traced through familial DNA from a relative who had
their DNA in a police database from a crime they had committed.
The "Grim Sleeper" killer in Los Angeles comes to mind. His DNA, found at the scenes of the crimes, was not in any government database, but the police would re-scan the database over the years and recheck. His son's DNA eventually wound up in the database due to his arrest on criminal charges. A routine re-scan resulted in a
familial hit with the serial killer's DNA, and, with some investigation, it was linked to Lonnie Franklin, Jr.
In short, you can protect your DNA only so far but if someone to whom you are closely related "releases" their DNA, your privacy is compromised.