Parabon NanoLabs claims that with their software Snapshot, DNA samples can be turned into a composite image of a suspect to help law enforcement find the perpetrator. Scientist do not agree, and raise concerns about its reliability and the potential for deepening racial bias in investigations.
Parabon’s methodology for generating its phenotype predictions is a closely guarded secret; its system has not faced independent scientific verification and validation — the gold standard among scientists for vetting the efficacy of computer-based programs — nor has it been peer reviewed. Still, Parabon insists that its phenotyping work is based on good science. While it acknowledges that its program has not gone through traditional scientific review processes, it says the proof of Snapshot’s ability and value is in the number of law enforcement agencies that use it and say it has helped them solve cases.
… the tools police use to generate investigative leads are generally not considered evidence in criminal cases, meaning the state is not required to share information about those tools or the leads they generate with defense lawyers. So, for example, if police use a Snapshot composite to lead them to a suspect who they then charge with a crime, the defense will likely never know unless the police choose to publicize it.