DNA Mining and genealogical information systems: Not just for finding family ethnicity

The primary expected use of DNA and genealogy sites has been their ability to help users find their family, find their ethnicity and to help them connect with distant relatives. In so doing such sites help users to “learn more about themselves.” Such systems have also been proposed to have the broader goals of helping connect mankind and show people how their similarities are greater than their differences. However, the use of DNA and genealogy information recently turned away from just finding family connections, ethnicity and origins. Recently it was announced that the “Golden State Killer” had been caught using information generated from using DNA and consumer genealogical websites.

This paper investigates some of the questions and unanticipated consequences raised by this alternative use of these technologies and their impact on individuals, organizations and society. As part of that analysis we analyze some of the immediate consequences on the firm from which the DNA information was gathered, the new emerging approach used by law enforcement, some privacy concerns and provide a network game formulation as a means to model user behavior. Finally, we examine some potential emerging research issues.