Governing expectations of forensic innovations in society: the case of FDP in Germany

Abstract

This article is about the governance of expectations of forensic DNA phenotyping (FDP) innovations in Germany used for the prediction of human externally visible traits such as eye, hair, and skin color, as well as biological age and biogeographic ancestry. In 2019, FDP technologies were regulated under the label "extended DNA analysis". We focus on the expectations of members of the forensic genetics' community in Germany, in anticipation and response to those of regulators who advocated for such technologies. Confronted with regulators' expectations of omnipotent technologies and the optimistic promise that they will enhance public security, forensic geneticists responded with attempts to adjust such expectations, specifying limits and risks, along with a particular logic sorting matters of concern. We reflect on how forensic geneticists' govern expectations through forms of distributed anticipatory governance, delimiting their obligations, and distributing accountability across the criminal justice system.

Recent advances in forensic biology and forensic DNA typing: INTERPOL review 2019–2022

“…Continuing research into the genetic components of biogeographic ancestry, appearance, and age predictions have improved forensic DNA phenotyping capabilities [ 417 ]. These forensic innovations may sometimes impact public expectations [ 418 ]. The investigation in a murder case was assisted using information from forensic DNA phenotyping that predicted eye, hair, and skin color of an unknown suspect with the HIrisPlex-S system involving targeted massively parallel sequencing [ 419 ].…”

Genetic Racial Profiling

“…2 See for example Lipphardt et al (2021a) and Amelung and Machado (2021) or the terms used by the Freiburg Initiative, http://www.wie-dna.de/english/. In most scientific and popular texts on the subject, the technologies investigated here are subsumed under the term 'forensic DNA phenotyping' (FDP).…”

Interpretation of DNA data within the context of UK forensic science — investigation

“…For a review of these methods, see [ 33 ]. FDP was used in a recent criminal case in Germany where the existing legislation was updated to allow its application [ 34 ].…”