Facial Kinship Verification and Searching for Genetic Origins in Gamete/embryo Donor Conception – an Overview of Potential Legal and Ethical Issues

The aim of Facial Kinship Verification (FKV) technologies is to determine whether a given pair of face images of two people are related genetically. FKV is developing rapidly, and it could be used to search for genetic relatives in a variety of ways and settings, such as searching for missing children or unknown parents. In this paper we focus on one area where this technology might have significant implications, the searching for gamete (egg and sperm) and embryo donor(s) by donor-conceived people. In many jurisdictions, donor-conceived people do not have access to information about their donor’s identity, and laws differ significantly in this area. We offer an initial overview of the legal and related ethical issues raised by FKV in this context, and touch on other areas where it might be used to find genetic relatives, as a starting point for further analysis and research.