DNA as forensic evidence and a commodity in the light of cultural criminology

• In Event: Digital Criminology: Control and organized chaos in a ‘digital world’

Abstract

DNA has long been considered the golden evidence in crime case. Despite being a biological trace, research and practice shows that there are several social and cultural elements to DNA that affects its stand as evidence. A recent development is the massive growth of consumer genomics. Companies like 23andMe, Ancestry, MyHeritage, and FamilyTree offer direct-to-consumer genomic testing and have millions of people worldwide registered in their databanks. These companies play a massive role in today’s use and development of DNA use and related technology, but they also form people’s understanding of DNA. These developments are impacting the way the police are using DNA as an investigation tool. So called “forensic genetic genealogy” is growing in popularity across the globe, where the police are using commercial databases are using commercial databases to do familial searches in crime or missing cases.

This presentation takes on a cultural criminology perspective to discuss DNA as evidence in connection to the commodification of DNA and its role in recent development of forensic genetic genealogy within the police. The rise of private DNA companies has led to a commercially driven cultural ideology of the role of DNA in crime cases. It has also created an online mediated construct of individuals’ role and responsibilities in crime control as “genetic witnesses”. Another related discussion is the development of public-private partnerships between the police and private DNA companies, where the police are heavily depended on the will and local regulations of the company to get access. A controlling factor to the use of such databases is the national context of legal culture as well as of the general public in relation to DNA, which in several countries is slowing down the development of forensic genetic geneology.

Authors

• Silje Bakken, University of Oslo

• Mareile Kaufmann, University of Oslo