# Gene theft

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Acquiring another person's DNA without permission

Animation of DNA, a part of our identity.

In [bioethics](/source/Bioethics) and [law](/source/Law), **gene theft** or **DNA theft** is the act of acquiring the [genetic material](/source/Genetic_material) of another individual, usually from [public places](/source/Public_space), without their permission. The [DNA](/source/DNA) may be harvested from a wide variety of common objects such as discarded cigarettes, used condoms, coffee cups, and hairbrushes. In addition, a variety of people can be interested on collecting someone's genetic material. This includes the police, political parties, historians, professional sports teams, personal enemies, etc.[1] DNA contains adequate amount of information about someone and it can be used for many purposes such as establishing [paternity](/source/Paternity_(law)), proving [genealogical connections](/source/Genealogy) or even unmasking [private medical](/source/Medical_privacy) conditions.[2]

## Criminal law

Currently, there are not many laws pertaining to the punishment that one may receive from obtaining the genetic material of others without their consent. However, due to the [Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)](/source/Health_Insurance_Portability_and_Accountability_Act), one's genetic material cannot be given to their school or employer as the genome is a part of one's personal health data, but, law enforcement can have access to it without consent. This only occurs when a person is either a victim or a suspect of a criminal investigation.[3]

[Great Britain](/source/Great_Britain) criminalized the acquisition of DNA without [consent](/source/Consent) in 2006 at the urging of the [Human Genetics Commission](/source/Human_Genetics_Commission).[4][5] [Australia's](/source/Australia) legislature debated a two-year jail sentence for such theft in 2008.[6][7] In the United States, eight states currently have criminal or civil prohibitions on such [non-consensual](/source/Non-consensual) appropriation of genetic materials.[8] In [Alaska](/source/Alaska), [Florida](/source/Florida), [New Jersey](/source/New_Jersey), [New York](/source/New_York_(state)) and [Oregon](/source/Oregon), individuals caught swiping DNA face fines or short jail sentences.[8] Lawsuits against "gene snatchers" are permitted in [Minnesota](/source/Minnesota), [New Hampshire](/source/New_Hampshire) and [New Mexico](/source/New_Mexico).[8] In jurisdictions where such non-consensual taking of DNA is illegal, exceptions are generally made for law enforcement.

## Ethics

Many [bioethicists](/source/Bioethics) believe that such conduct is an unethical invasion of [human privacy](/source/Right_to_privacy).[8] Professor [Jacob Appel](/source/Jacob_M._Appel) has warned that criminals may acquire the capability to copy DNA of innocent people and deposit it at crimes scenes, endangering the blameless and undermining a key tool of forensic investigation."[8] In addition, there have been ethical concerns on law enforcement using the DNA of the family members of criminals to catch them. This concept was used for the [Golden State Killer](/source/Joseph_James_DeAngelo) case in [California](/source/California), who was connected to at least 50 rapes and 12 murders between 1976 and 1986. After the case went cold, investigators used a website that compared the genetic information of those who had uploaded their information and found a relative of the killer.[9]

However, others defend the appropriation of genetic material on the grounds that doing so may further human knowledge in productive ways.[2] One particularly controversial case which received widespread attention in the media was that of Derrell Teat, a wastewater coordinator, who sought to acquire without consent the DNA of a man who was allegedly the last male descendant of her great-great-great-grandfather's brother.[2][10] Another prominent case was a United States paternity suit involving film producer [Steve Bing](/source/Steve_Bing) and billionaire investor [Kirk Kerkorian](/source/Kirk_Kerkorian).[11]

## See also

- [Genetic testing](/source/Genetic_testing)

- [Genetic privacy](/source/Genetic_privacy)

- [Bioethics](/source/Bioethics)

- [Forensic testing](/source/Forensic_evidence)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Joh, Elizabeth (2011). ["DNA Theft: Recognizing the Crime of Nonconsensual Genetic Collection and Testing"](https://www.bu.edu/law/journals-archive/bulr/documents/joh.pdf) (PDF). *Boston University Law*. 91: 665.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-ReferenceA_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-ReferenceA_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-ReferenceA_2-2) Harmon, Amy. Stalking Strangers’ DNA to Fill in the Family Tree. *The New York Times* April 2, 2007

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["The US Urgently Needs New Genetic Privacy Laws"](https://www.wired.com/story/the-us-urgently-needs-new-genetic-privacy-laws/). *Wired*. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [1059-1028](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1059-1028). Retrieved 2019-11-14.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Womack, Sarah. [Report urges ban on secret DNA tests](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1394939/Report-urges-ban-on-secret-DNA-tests.html), *The Daily Telegraph*, May 22, 2002

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Editorial: The Human Tissue Act, *British Medical Journal*, Sept 9, 2006.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [Australia considers DNA theft laws](http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/11/10/Australia-considers-DNA-theft-laws/UPI-44161226357348/) United Press International, Nov 10, 2008

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Smith, Deborah. Theft of DNA should be a crime: Experts, Sydney Morning Herald*, May 30, 2003*

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-newhavenregister.com22_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-newhavenregister.com22_8-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-newhavenregister.com22_8-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-newhavenregister.com22_8-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-newhavenregister.com22_8-4) Appel, Jacob M. ['Gene-nappers,’ like identity thieves, new threat of digital age](http://www.newhavenregister.com/articles/2009/11/05/opinion/doc4af258b842a6d983291505.txt) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120306191649/http://www.newhavenregister.com/articles/2009/11/05/opinion/doc4af258b842a6d983291505.txt) 2012-03-06 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), *The New Haven Register*, Nov. 5, 2009

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** "The ethics of catching criminals using their family's DNA". *Nature*. **557** (7703): 5. 2018-05-02. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1038/d41586-018-05029-9](https://doi.org/10.1038%2Fd41586-018-05029-9). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [30944484](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30944484). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [13756300](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:13756300).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** San Francisco Chronicle, April 8, 2007

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Coghlan, Andy. [DNA theft should "be a criminal offence"](https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn2305-dna-theft-should-be-a-criminal-offence.html), May 21, 2002

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Gene theft](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_theft) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_theft?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.