4 ms·

Perhaps I'm being naieve but I don't want my DNA in any database without my expressed consent or criminal conviction. DNA is inherently personal, and while its

Perhaps I'm being naieve but I don't want my DNA in any database without my expressed consent or criminal conviction. DNA is inherently personal, and while its true you leave your DNA in almost as many places as your fingerprints (skin flakes, stray hairs, et al) DNA can tell you much more about someone's medical conditions than their fingerprint can. I'm interested in personal medical devices, but not if that means leaking my medical info to the companies selling said devices. That info is personal and private and is nobodies business except mine and my doctors.

contravariant 11y ago
I wonder if they'll try to reassure people that they've "anonymized" your DNA.
x1798DE 11y ago
I wouldn't even consider that my doctors' business. It's your business, full stop. Your doctor is a contractor whose job it is to help you interpret the results, same as a medical device.
amitutk 11y ago
Your genetic information can not be used to discriminate against you. "The President has signed into law the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) that will protect Americans against discrimination based on their genetic information when it comes to health insurance and employment." http://www.genome.gov/24519851 http://www.genome.gov/24519851
- ocdtrekkie 11y ago
  It's illegal in the movie Gattaca too. :D
- jakeogh 11y ago
  At some point anyone can use it to construct a model of you (face shape reconstruction is now, litter in Hong Kong and your face may show up on a billboard). We have just scratched the surface in regards to what can be known about someone if you have their genetic code. Or what can be done... like make people specific bio-weapons. I wonder how fast individuals will be able edit their own DNA on the fly to moot some of this.
  - bduerst 11y ago
    That's almost as science fiction as there being an "intelligence" gene. Genetics is only one factor of your appearance - believe it or not, your environment, lifestyle, and upbringing factor in heavily.
    - colonelxc 11y ago
      First google hit for "face generation from dna" http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/24/science/building-face-and-a-case-on-dna.html http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/24/science/building-face-and-... You're right of course, there is a lot more to appearance than genetics, but these approximations do exist now, and will get better. jakeogh's litter example is closer to reality than he probably intended, which just shows how fast this technology is coming along. > Nonetheless, the police in Columbia, S.C., last month released a sketch of a possible suspect. Rather than an artist’s rendering based on witness descriptions, the face was generated by a computer relying solely on DNA found at the scene of the crime.
      - jakeogh 11y ago
        It's reality. I should have included the link. http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/1804420/hong-kong-litterbugs-shamed-billboard-portraits-made-using-dna-trash http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/1804420/hong-kong-litt... The point about genes vs environment/expression is right on, I assumed it was common knowledge and therefore implied.
- ams6110 11y ago
  Laws can be changed. So can governments. Once your DNA is in a database, there's no getting it back.

contravariant 11y ago

I wonder if they'll try to reassure people that they've "anonymized" your DNA.

x1798DE 11y ago

I wouldn't even consider that my doctors' business. It's your business, full stop. Your doctor is a contractor whose job it is to help you interpret the results, same as a medical device.

amitutk 11y ago

Your genetic information can not be used to discriminate against you. "The President has signed into law the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) that will protect Americans against discrimination based on their genetic information when it comes to health insurance and employment." http://www.genome.gov/24519851 http://www.genome.gov/24519851

ocdtrekkie 11y ago
It's illegal in the movie Gattaca too. :D
jakeogh 11y ago
At some point anyone can use it to construct a model of you (face shape reconstruction is now, litter in Hong Kong and your face may show up on a billboard). We have just scratched the surface in regards to what can be known about someone if you have their genetic code. Or what can be done... like make people specific bio-weapons. I wonder how fast individuals will be able edit their own DNA on the fly to moot some of this.
- bduerst 11y ago
  That's almost as science fiction as there being an "intelligence" gene. Genetics is only one factor of your appearance - believe it or not, your environment, lifestyle, and upbringing factor in heavily.
  - colonelxc 11y ago
    First google hit for "face generation from dna" http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/24/science/building-face-and-a-case-on-dna.html http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/24/science/building-face-and-... You're right of course, there is a lot more to appearance than genetics, but these approximations do exist now, and will get better. jakeogh's litter example is closer to reality than he probably intended, which just shows how fast this technology is coming along. > Nonetheless, the police in Columbia, S.C., last month released a sketch of a possible suspect. Rather than an artist’s rendering based on witness descriptions, the face was generated by a computer relying solely on DNA found at the scene of the crime.
    - jakeogh 11y ago
      It's reality. I should have included the link. http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/1804420/hong-kong-litterbugs-shamed-billboard-portraits-made-using-dna-trash http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/1804420/hong-kong-litt... The point about genes vs environment/expression is right on, I assumed it was common knowledge and therefore implied.
ams6110 11y ago
Laws can be changed. So can governments. Once your DNA is in a database, there's no getting it back.