An app pointing to the possibilities of family connections between contacts has been launched to address the risk of falling in love with a relative.
A common problem in the Nordic country with a population of 320,000 is the risk of running into far-off relatives when meeting someone new.
Islendiga-App (app of the Icelanders) works out users’ family trees to prevent scandal by sounding an alarm when two related contacts clash phones.
Einar Magnusson, an Icelandic graphic designer, told The Irish Examiner: “It’s not a good feeling when you realise that girl is a second cousin.
“People may think it’s funny, but [the app] is a necessity.”
Created by the University of Iceland, the app is an extension of Islendingabok (Book of Icelanders) – a web-based family tree.
The Book of Icelanders contains almost the entire population’s genealogy, with family histories traced from ninth century Viking-settlers over 1,200 years ago.
Icelanders are of the opinion the app’s operation in the country is rarely specific since “almost everyone is distantly related,” according to The Irish Examiner.
