Privacy challenges with genetic information

DNA technologies are used routinely in missing persons investigations because they allow investigators to connect a found individual, or remains that cannot be identified, to an open missing persons case. Currently, the standard genetic markers included in a DNA profile do not include any determining traits other than sex. Nevertheless, the predictive nature of genetic information, its relevance for family members, and its past use to support discrimination, at times, heightens public concerns over genetic privacy. Furthermore, as DNA technologies develop, the possibility of applying broader marker panels, genome sequencing, and next-generation technologies that may assess thousands of points in a genome grows, as does the potential inclusion of trait-predictive markers to predict race, ethnicity, height, eye-color, or other similar metrics in order to better guide investigations.