“We are just starting in Canada to use those technologies, because the legal side is not really clear,” Séguinsaid in an interview this week.

With genetic genealogy, even a match to the public profile of a distant relative can be used by genealogists to construct a family tree and identify the suspect, who can then be investigated by traditional policing methods.

The technique has been used a few times in Canada — most notably to solve the 1984 killing of nine-year-old Christine Jessop in Ontario. That case was solved with the help of Texas-based forensics lab Othram, which has also helped to identify decades-old remains in Regina and Edmonton. 

However, genetic genealogy has not yet been conclusively tested in a Canadian court becausemost of the peopleidentified were dead.

The RCMP say they are working to develop a national policy on the use of genetic genealogy that respects Canadian laws, including those protecting privacy. Sgt. Caroline Duval wrote in an email that the RCMP are working with partners, including the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, legal services and the RCMP forensic lab to assess the viability of using the technique.

“Should a Canadian case go through the court system with a genealogical DNA component, the decisions rendered may also have an effect on how police use this investigative technique moving forward, and the development of national and divisional policies,” Duval wrote.

In the meantime, local RCMP detachments may use commercial laboratory and database services “provided that they comply with the associated terms of service and privacy policies of the labs currently in place,” Duval added.

Brenda McPhail, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association’s director of privacy, technology and surveillance, says there are numerous privacy concerns surrounding police use of DNA, which she describes as “our most intimate and sensitive information.”

People who upload their DNA to public sites often want to learn more about their family history and may not realize how the information could be used by law enforcement, she said in an interview Thursday.

Even if they check a box allowing the information to be made public, “can they give meaningful consent in a situation where they’re not just consenting to have their information used but having their information used in ways that implicate other people in their family?” she asked.

McPhail said she is aware of one case involving…