Police in France quickly arrested three suspects involved in the recent Louvre museum heist, thanks to DNA evidence left at the scene and on getaway vehicles. The case highlights the effectiveness of France's national DNA database, which has grown to include millions of profiles from people suspected or convicted of various crimes. Investigators processed over 150 forensic samples, matching them to individuals already in the system due to prior offenses. The success of the database in both current and cold cases has sparked debate about privacy, especially as France considers expanding access to foreign genealogy databases for unsolved crimes.

Unlike in the United States, where consumer genealogy databases are commonly used by law enforcement, France currently bans such services due to privacy concerns rooted in history. Proposed legislation could change this, allowing investigators to tap into foreign commercial DNA databases for serious cold cases. While some see this as a valuable tool for solving crimes, others warn it could infringe on the privacy of individuals and their families.