Investigative genetic genealogy practices warranting policy attention: Results of a modified policy Delphi.
A technique known as investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) was first introduced to criminal investigations in 2018, and it has since been used by U.S. law enforcement to help identify hundreds of criminal perpetrators and unidentified human remains. As expertise in IGG grows, policymakers have shown...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2025-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS Genetics |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1011520 |
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| _version_ | 1832540314585268224 |
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| author | Christi J Guerrini Louiza Kalokairinou Jill O Robinson Whitney Bash Brooks Stephanie M Fullerton Sara Huston Jacklyn Dahlquist Diana Madden Norah Crossnohere Nicola Campoamor John F P Bridges Amy L McGuire |
| author_facet | Christi J Guerrini Louiza Kalokairinou Jill O Robinson Whitney Bash Brooks Stephanie M Fullerton Sara Huston Jacklyn Dahlquist Diana Madden Norah Crossnohere Nicola Campoamor John F P Bridges Amy L McGuire |
| author_sort | Christi J Guerrini |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A technique known as investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) was first introduced to criminal investigations in 2018, and it has since been used by U.S. law enforcement to help identify hundreds of criminal perpetrators and unidentified human remains. As expertise in IGG grows, policymakers have shown interest in regulating it. To help inform these efforts and to promote coherence in IGG governance as it expands, we recruited experts representing a spectrum of IGG-relevant professions and perspectives to identify and prioritize IGG practices for policy attention and to develop policy options for addressing them. In two rounds of a modified policy Delphi, 31 participants prioritized nine IGG practices for policy attention. These top priority practices relate to: consent and notification; case eligibility and criteria; data management, privacy, and security; and governance and accountability. Participants expressed a range of opinions, some strongly held, and did not reach complete consensus with respect to any of the practices. However, convergence was strongest with respect to law enforcement participation in direct-to-consumer genetic genealogy databases against terms of service, which a large majority opposed and almost half evaluated as top priority for policy attention. Participants also voiced strong and consistent concern about management of data and samples collected and generated during IGG and the governance of private laboratories involved in IGG. Our study demonstrates the feasibility and value of engaging with diverse experts over an extended period on a pressing matter of public policy and provides a needed empirical foundation for IGG policymaking. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3e903095c5664db1842c3c0fbb0a5706 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1553-7390 1553-7404 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS Genetics |
| spelling | doaj-art-3e903095c5664db1842c3c0fbb0a57062025-02-05T05:31:00ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Genetics1553-73901553-74042025-01-01211e101152010.1371/journal.pgen.1011520Investigative genetic genealogy practices warranting policy attention: Results of a modified policy Delphi.Christi J GuerriniLouiza KalokairinouJill O RobinsonWhitney Bash BrooksStephanie M FullertonSara HustonJacklyn DahlquistDiana MaddenNorah CrossnohereNicola CampoamorJohn F P BridgesAmy L McGuireA technique known as investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) was first introduced to criminal investigations in 2018, and it has since been used by U.S. law enforcement to help identify hundreds of criminal perpetrators and unidentified human remains. As expertise in IGG grows, policymakers have shown interest in regulating it. To help inform these efforts and to promote coherence in IGG governance as it expands, we recruited experts representing a spectrum of IGG-relevant professions and perspectives to identify and prioritize IGG practices for policy attention and to develop policy options for addressing them. In two rounds of a modified policy Delphi, 31 participants prioritized nine IGG practices for policy attention. These top priority practices relate to: consent and notification; case eligibility and criteria; data management, privacy, and security; and governance and accountability. Participants expressed a range of opinions, some strongly held, and did not reach complete consensus with respect to any of the practices. However, convergence was strongest with respect to law enforcement participation in direct-to-consumer genetic genealogy databases against terms of service, which a large majority opposed and almost half evaluated as top priority for policy attention. Participants also voiced strong and consistent concern about management of data and samples collected and generated during IGG and the governance of private laboratories involved in IGG. Our study demonstrates the feasibility and value of engaging with diverse experts over an extended period on a pressing matter of public policy and provides a needed empirical foundation for IGG policymaking.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1011520 |
| spellingShingle | Christi J Guerrini Louiza Kalokairinou Jill O Robinson Whitney Bash Brooks Stephanie M Fullerton Sara Huston Jacklyn Dahlquist Diana Madden Norah Crossnohere Nicola Campoamor John F P Bridges Amy L McGuire Investigative genetic genealogy practices warranting policy attention: Results of a modified policy Delphi. PLoS Genetics |
| title | Investigative genetic genealogy practices warranting policy attention: Results of a modified policy Delphi. |
| title_full | Investigative genetic genealogy practices warranting policy attention: Results of a modified policy Delphi. |
| title_fullStr | Investigative genetic genealogy practices warranting policy attention: Results of a modified policy Delphi. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Investigative genetic genealogy practices warranting policy attention: Results of a modified policy Delphi. |
| title_short | Investigative genetic genealogy practices warranting policy attention: Results of a modified policy Delphi. |
| title_sort | investigative genetic genealogy practices warranting policy attention results of a modified policy delphi |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1011520 |
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