The high-profile arrest of Joseph James DeAngelo, suspected of being the Golden State Killer, has raised eyebrows among ethics experts about the use of data by law enforcement officials. In a letter to California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Rep. Adam Schiff (Calif.), ranking members on the House Intelligence Committee, said they were concerned that police Analysts have warned that people may be unaware their genetic data can be used in ways they had not foreseen, potentially prompting ethical conundrums.
The high-profile arrest of Joseph James DeAngelo, suspected of being the Golden State Killer, has raised eyebrows among ethics experts about the use of data by law enforcement officials. Police hunting the serial rapist and murderer uploaded a sample of DeAngelo's DNA to genealogy website GEDmatch – which requires permission – leading them to a relative. Analysts have warned that people may be unaware their genetic data can be used in ways they had not foreseen, potentially prompting ethical conundrums.