Prognosis

DNA Website Had Unwitting Role in Golden State Manhunt

  • GEDmatch, founded by a Florida grandfather, pools genetic data
  • Privacy debate swirls after investigators sifted site’s users
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Curtis Rogers is used to helping people track down their relatives. The 79-year-old Florida grandfather of six founded a genealogy website that helps hobbyists like himself trace the branches on their family tree.

In the past few weeks, though, Rogers has been fielding inquiries from a different kind of user: the police.