This is a developing story and may be updated.
Since it’s launch in 2016, the DNA database at MyHeritage has grown to more than 9.3 million users, making it one of the largest for genealogical research.
In fact, I believe MyHeritage effectively has the second largest DNA database, behind only AncestryDNA. Although 23andMe has more testers overall (roughly 14 million), only about half have opted into relative matching, meaning there are about 2.3 million more kits available for genealogy research at MyHeritage than at 23andMe.
MyHeritage’s rapid growth has been fueled by a combination of aggressive pricing—test kits are almost always on sale—and free uploads of raw DNA data files. An upload allows someone who has tested elsewhere to participate in the MyHeritage database without buying a new test and waiting for the lab to process it. The user simply copies their data file from the competitor to MyHeritage’s system, then MyHeritage matches it to relatives in their database.
A Backdoor for Law Enforcement
Unfortunately, this system also enables law enforcement agencies, and the forensic genetic genealogists (FGGs) who contract with them, to use the database, even though they are explicitly forbidden to do so by both the MyHeritage Terms and Conditions as well as the US Department of Justice (DOJ) Interim Policy on forensic genetic genealogy.
The DOJ policy states:
“Investigative agencies shall identify themselves as law enforcement to [genetic genealogy] services and enter and search FGG profiles only in those [genetic genealogy] services that provide explicit notice to their service users and the public that law enforcement may use their service sites to investigate crimes or to identify unidentified human remains.” (p. 6)
While DOJ policies do not have the force of federal law, the department has traditionally adhered to them. For example, although the so-called Mueller Report found evidence that Donald Trump had obstructed justice (a crime in the US) during his first term in office, they did not charge him because DOJ policy prevents the indictment of a sitting president.
We’ve known for some time that FGGs are using the MyHeritage database. The key match leading to the arrest of the Golden State Killer was found at MyHeritage, although that detail was kept from MyHeritage and the public until an exposé by the Los Angeles Times more than two years later. Several other instances have come to light, and undoubtedly many more will be revealed as cases make their way through judicial systems.
Most recently, in February 2025, the public learned that the FBI used MyHeritage to investigate the murders of four undergraduate students at the University of Idaho. As with previous incursions, MyHeritage took no discernible action.
Until Now
Starting about a week ago, some MyHeritage customers started seeing this message:
This appears to be a phased rollout, because most users still have the option to upload, including myself. However, this message is being reported by more and more genealogists around the world, from Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the UK. I briefly saw it myself today, although it disappeared when I reloaded the page.
If FGGs won’t follow the DOJ policy, and if there are no professional or legal repercussions when they don’t, then the only way MyHeritage can protect us—their customers—is to prevent FGGs from being able to upload at all. And because they usually can’t distinguish FGG kits from layperson kits, they can only protect us by ceasing to accept uploads entirely. Of course, this also means that we genealogists will suffer the consequences of FGGs’ actions.
Why now?
On May 9, 2025, CeCe Moore justified what the FBI did in the Idaho case on the US newsmagazine Dateline. Apparently, MyHeritage simply couldn’t ignore the problem any longer. The rollout began two weeks later.
In the interview, Moore said:
Several years ago, the Department of Justice put together guidelines that they would like us all to follow, including federal employees like the FBI. But, it’s not a law. These are guidelines; they are suggestions. And so if a federal employee is the one doing the genetic genealogy, or if an agency is getting federal funds, they are supposed to follow that. But, it’s not a final law …. And so the FBI decided that this was a big enough threat to public safety, and that there was an urgency, and so they got clearance to upload to the MyHeritage database surreptitiously.
The DOJ policy does not, in fact, have a mechanism to “get clearance” to use databases that ban them. There is no public-safety exception to access MyHeritage, despite disinformation to the contrary. (I encourage everyone to read the policy for themselves.) The FBI went renegade, and now it looks like the entire genetic genealogy community will pay the price.
Interestingly, Moore has radically changed her position on using unapproved databases for FGG. In a session titled “Dealing with Ethical Dilemmas in an Online World” at RootsTech 2022, she said:
MyHeritage also bars law enforcement use and nobody should be using it for law-enforcement purposes however, there are some people not following terms of service that are uploading. (≈38:45)
This Was Inevitable
In that same RootsTech session, Moore predicted the harm to FGG that would result from unethical practices:
I feel firstly not just ethically but that if we go against the terms of service, it could possibly shut down this incredibly powerful tool for use because we rely on public participation, on genealogists supporting our work and opting in and uploading and if we go against that type of consent, and are just willy-nilly uploading against terms of service at GEDmatch or against terms of service at MyHeritage, I think we could lose public support and we could lose this really valuable tool. So, you know, ethics are very important, but also public perception is very important, and it could definitely cause there to be a very negative opinion about investigative genetic genealogy. (≈40:00)
GEDmatch has already been forced to tighten its policies due to unethical FGG practices. Now it’s MyHeritage’s turn. Unfortunately, this time, everyone will be impacted.
What Can You Do?
If you have kits that you want to upload to MyHeritage, you may still be able to do so here. The change has not reached all accounts yet. If the link doesn’t work for you, try logging into your account (if you have one) or reloading the page. Today, I got the “no longer supported” message but was able to access the upload page 5 minutes later.
Going forward, I think this is for the best. If genealogists want to assist forensic investigations, they can do so at GEDmatch and FamilyTreeDNA, the two commercial databases that allow law enforcement matching. The rest of us should be able to do genetic genealogy without government intrusion.
The MyHeritage database is large enough to compete on its own, without uploads. Their test kits are inexpensive, and native tests give more reliable matching anyway. That’s because MyHeritage has to make educated guesses, called imputation, to integrate uploads into their database, and sometimes their algorithms guess wrong.
In the long term, I believe we will all benefit from this change, although the transition is likely to be bumpy.
To the best of my knowledge, My Heritage is an Israeli company. I am not a US citizen or resident (nor are a significant percentage of My Heritage customers). It might have been a good idea to have written this article with at least some consideration of these factors. When it comes to DNA and privacy the cat is already out of the bag.
How would the fact that MyHeritage is Israeli have affected the article?
If you don’t (visibly) enforce one portion of your ToS, you have less standing to enforce any other part.
Maybe these were done with an off-the-record “handshake agreement”, or a secret subpoena, but it doesn’t sound like either of those happened.
One way to make sure people Pay Attention to your ToS is to take the violators to court and request damages totalling the amount that your customers paid with the expectation that the ToS was firm. The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act probably also applies; you could have people tossed into jail for that (it’s not the organization that says to do this or that, it’s always a person).
You make an excellent point. I hadn’t thought about how this would weaken the rest of their TOS as well.
The Trump comment is out in left field and detrimental to your business I can’t imagine why you found it necessary to include that as an example and risk alienating some percentage of your audience. If someone makes political comments in your groups, they are chastised. Why here and why now?
It’s not a political comment; it’s an example of how seriously the DOJ takes its own policies in other contexts. If my audience is alienated by real-life examples, I’m sure there are other bloggers they can follow.
The reader is given the impression that some DOJ individuals will violate policy if they think they can get away with it.
Wasn’t CeCe Moore, and her team, involved in the GEDMatch debacle also?
She was.
Please besides GEDMatch & FTDNA don’t forget about DNA Justice, which is super small now but doesn’t charge law enforcement like the others.
Thank you for this article. I hate to see this, but MyHeritage is probably doing what’s best for everyone. I am still able to upload to MyHeritage, but do not currently have anyone that I need to upload there right now.
Too bad unethical people have to make things difficult for everyone else. Personally, I am opted in on each site that has opt in/opt out. I support DNA being used to help law enforcement, but only with consent, and it doesn’t sound like consent or lack thereof means anything at all to the unethical FGGs.
I opt in because in 1977, my uncle and aunt were brutally murdered. In 1987, my 2nd cousin was murdered while showing an apartment to a prospective tenant. In both cases, there was adequate evidence and good old-fashioned detective work to find their killers. Sometimes there isn’t such a good trail of evidence and DNA may be able to help. Every body (as in remains found) deserve to have their identity discovered and their families to have closure. I can’t go out and find the bad guys, but even long after I’m dead and gone, my DNA may help somebody, someday to know what happened to their family member.
As we say here in our household, though, without consent, it’s a no-touchy! Neither the FGGs or law enforcement should be using DNA of people who haven’t opted in to it.
Thanks again!
You’re welcome. I’m so very sorry for the tragedies in your family.
Thank you. I appreciate that very much.
So we’re taking the side of the victims now? And the Mueller report? Leave politics out of this. I thought we’re supposed to be science based and helpful. Seems like neither case applies.
It’s an analogy; it has nothing to do with politics.
Hi,
I tried uploading my DNA to MyHeritage at home and failed. Then tried at work and it was successfully uploaded. However, my test was from LivingDNA and the upload says it is invalid. I’ve left it loaded on MyHeritage just in the hope that they sort it out.
Thank you for that information!
So the FBI, for the sake of one case alone, has denied all law authorities access to the biggest available database for matching in all future cases. Sounds like “Load shotgun. Point at feet. Fire both barrels.” The only solution seems to be to put together a LE database of DNA samples from LE itself and volunteers. And I thought this was happening. Isn’t it?
MyHeritage was surely always going to shut off uploading at some stage. It was a way of building their database to be competitive. Now they are.
People aren’t flocking to the databases that allow LE. Apparently they don’t want the government to have that kind of access.
Further to my post (which is awaiting moderation).
MyHeritage has, until now, effectively said “Don’t do it, but if you do, don’t tell anybody about it”. That enabled them to ignore what was going on. But they can’t ignore this.