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Articles on Genealogy

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Almost every genetic database shares information with the pharmaceutical industry but it wasn’t until law enforcement started using the databases that consumers took note. (Unsplash)

Home genealogy kit sales plummet over data privacy concerns

Privacy concerns that emerged since law enforcement started mining the databases have put such a serious dent in the business that both Ancestry.com and 23andMe have reduced employees significantly.
Many genealogy forums recently claimed their distant ancestor, the French-born Catherine Pillard was Indigenous. Pillard arrived with other women in Quebec in the 17th century as depicted in this painting. Charles William Jefferys / Library and Archives Canada

How some North Americans claim a false Indigenous identity

Recently in Canada and the United States, a small, but vocal minority of white French-descendants have used an ancestor born between 300 and 400 years ago to claim an “Indigenous” identity.
Genealogy is the second most popular hobby in the United States. Steve Allen/Shutterstock.com

Genes and genealogy and making the most of famous relations

Before you attribute a trait to a famous ancestor like George Washington or Marie Antoinette, you might want to see how much DNA you actually share with these people. It’s not what you thought.
The issues surrounding the use of genetic data are complex. image created by James Hereward and Caitlin Curtis

Dramatic advances in forensics expose the need for genetic data legislation

Police have powerful new genetic tools. How are we going to regulate their use? A Genetic Data Protection Act is one solution to ensure confidence in the way DNA is accessed and used.
Genetic ancestry testing might all seem like harmless fun, but there is a downside. (Shutterstock)

Genetic ancestry tests don’t change your identity, but you might

The results of genetic ancestry tests are grossly over-simplified. A new study shows the tests reinforce what you want to believe rather than offering objective, scientific proof of who you are.
Joseph James DeAngelo, 72, who authorities suspect is the so-called Golden State Killer responsible for at least a dozen murders and 50 rapes in the 1970s and ‘80s, during his arraignment on April 27, 2018, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

How cops used a public genealogy database in the Golden State Killer case

A public genealogy data base was used to track down the so-called “Golden State Killer,” raising concerns about the privacy of using public sites to fill out our family trees.

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