Privacy implications of the new "omic" technologies in law enforcement

"Omic" technologies have opened a new revolution in law enforcement and are now solving decades-old cold cases as well as current investigations. The Golden State Killer case is probably the most notable of the cold case investigations that has been solved by one of the new "omic" technologies, namely forensic genetic genealogy. The resolution of this case epitomizes the power of the "omic" technologies to solve crime while simultaneously unearthing serious legal and ethical concerns around the individuals' privacy in the use of their genetic information. The legislation that is currently used by the state, territory, and Commonwealth jurisdictions in Australia to regulate the use of DNA for criminal investigation is now two decades old and does not address the application of "omic" technologies to criminal investigation. The Australian government is reviewing current privacy laws, and this review could include the use of "omic" technologies. In the absence of specific legislation, law enforcement must continue to develop processes to consider privacy, law, and ethics around the use of "omic" technologies for criminal investigation and the identification of human remains. This article is categorized under: Forensic Biology > Ethical and Social Implications Jurisprudence and Regulatory Oversight > Communication Across Science and Law Forensic Biology > Forensic DNA Technologies