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May 04, 2005
Say Goodbye to Genetic Privacy...
Give up on the idea that your genetic sequence will remain private information 30 years from now. So argues FuturePundit in this essay.
- [L]ong before personal DNA sequencers hit the market commercial DNA testing labs will be competing to tell us increasing numbers of insights about our minds and bodies that will be gleanable from DNA testing. Once those services start producing useful information with predictive value about health and physical and mental performance what is to stop any person from impersonating another person and submitting another person's DNA as their own?
Consider that identity theft is a rapidly growing problem. Most cases of identity theft are discovered when someone gets a bill for a product or service they didn't buy. But identity theft for the purpose of getting DNA tested would necessarily eventually result in the victim ever benig notified that someone else temporarily masqueraded as them. Why? Because when the DNA sample is submitted it would not have to be submitted with the real name of the person the DNA sample was stolen from.
As he argues, there is no plasible regulatory method for keeping your DNA private. Better hope you have good genes in the future because prospective mates ARE going to check you out before committing to having a child with you.
Posted by rakhier at May 4, 2005 11:05 AM