How to Keep the FBI From Accessing Your FamilyTreeDNA Results
If you want to keep your DNA data out of the hands of law enforcement, avoiding GEDmatch is not enough. Family Tree DNA recently acknowledged that it allows law enforcement to use their services, and is actively working with the FBI on at least several cases.
If you’re happy with that, great! Some argue that this is a great way to catch criminals and identify victims. But most of the people in the Family Tree database registered before this policy change and did not consent to this use of their data. And remember, your relatives have your DNA, so if your aunt really does genealogy, your data may be there, whether you agree or not. Since the Family Tree DNA database has about a million people, the average American likely has several second cousins .
What if my DNA is in the Family Tree database?
If you’ve submitted a saliva sample to Family Tree DNA, or uploaded your data from another service to Family Tree DNA, consider disabling matching according to these instructions . This means that law enforcement agencies will not be able to find your DNA, as well as family members, which could negate the purpose of using this service.
Should I be concerned if my data is in a different database like 23andme or Ancestry?
These services work in different ways. 23andme and Ancestry do not allow users (law enforcement or others) to download DNA data to search for matches. The only way to get your DNA into their system is by sending them a bottle of saliva.
GEDmatch does not conduct its own testing, but relies on users to download their data from other services. If your data is in GEDmatch, law enforcement can download data from a crime scene or from a suspect. Your details may appear in their search results. If you are not satisfied with this, change the settings to “private” or “exploratory”.
Do DNA databases regularly share data with law enforcement?
With the right court order, any database may be required to transfer data. According to their transparency reports, 23andme says it denies all requests and has never had to return anything . Ancestry says it has shared basic user information, but not genetic data .
23andme, Ancestry and Family Tree DNA are the largest consumer DNA databases, but you may have used a different service. Check their website for a transparency report (stating how many requests they had for data and if they were passed on) and their law enforcement manual (explaining their policies). Of course, politics can change at any time.