FAMILIAL SEARCHES, THE FOURTH AMENDMENT, AND GENOMIC CONTROL

Area of Science:

• Forensic Science
• Genetics
• Law and Technology

Background:

• Law enforcement increasingly utilizes consumer genomic databases for criminal investigations.
• This practice often bypasses traditional judicial oversight and Fourth Amendment warrant requirements.
• Existing platforms store vast amounts of user genomic data, enabling familial matching for suspect identification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the legal and technological context of using consumer genomic data in law enforcement.
• To address the Fourth Amendment implications of accessing expansive datasets.
• To introduce a novel technological solution for secure genomic analysis.

Main Methods:

• Review of legal precedents, including *United States v. Carpenter*.
• Description of a new technology enabling private genomic analysis.
• Contextualization of technological advancements with legal standards.

Main Results:

• The Supreme Court's ruling in *Carpenter* suggests expanded Fourth Amendment protections for large datasets.
• A novel technology has been developed for secure, third-party-free genomic analysis.
• This technology presents a potential method for safeguarding privacy.

Conclusions:

• There is a critical need to balance law enforcement's investigative needs with individual privacy rights.
• Technological innovation can provide solutions to constitutional challenges posed by big data.
• The developed technology offers a pathway to ensure Fourth Amendment protections for consumer genomic data.