The Ethics of a National DNA Database: A Double-Edged Sword
Yuniq - My perspective on life
Today, I had the opportunity to explore a thought-provoking topic: A database containing the DNA information of every citizen of the USA could be a valuable resource to medical researchers
For me, the final frontier is really in the creation of a national database involving the DNA of every single citizen, something I find too extreme, regardless of ethical and privacy concerns. While such a database would be useful for medical purposes and solving crimes, it also comes with many risks. This measure seems a stalking horse for bigger, more intrusive government programs for at least a couple of reasons: 1) Government programs tend to expand, even after the politicians have moved on, and 2) there's the risk of inaccurate DNA data.