Airborne DNA Raises Privacy Concerns for Criminal Identification.
Environmental DNA (eDNA) research, which has aided conservation, can also glean information about human populations and individuals, posing dangers to privacy and civil liberties. New DNA collecting techniques are “like catnip” for law enforcement officials, who could use it for surveillance of certain kinds of people. Genetic trash to genetic treasure, eDNA can reveal a wealth of information about people in an area. Forensic ethicists and legal scholars say the findings increase the urgency for comprehensive genetic privacy regulations.