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Gene scientists are racing to assemble DNA samples to pinpoint the causes of individual cancer cases and rare genetic diseases. Various private companies including 23andMe offer gene tests that you can order on the web.
But there is a big and scary downside to the industrialization of DNA sequencing, as described in Matt Herper's cover story on the next $100 billion tech industry. As gene decoding becomes easier, so does the possibility of abuse--either for corporate profit, marketing purposes, or government big brother gone bad, Kashmir Hill discloses in the current issue of Forbes Magazine. The possibilities are real and have achieved amazingly little attention. Surreptitious DNA testing to find out medical secrets is becoming increasingly easy. Attention parents: Some states are assembling huge banks of DNA or blood from newborns, and haven't always bothered to ask parents permission; one such database was destroyed in Texas after a judge objected. Did you know that? And what are the limits on law enforcement DNA testing? Should unlimited fishing expeditions through giant DNA databases be allowed?
Here's what Kashmir Hill says in our article Genome Hackers that details just how easy it is to steal your DNA and sleuth out sensitive information:
As gene tests become common, possibilities for abuse will intensify. Banks might not offer you a mortgage if you were likely to die before it was paid off. A pregnant women might secretly get DNA from her lovers so she knows who the father is. Someone might check out a potential mate for genetic flaws. Politicians might dig up dirt on their rivals. Another question: How far should law enforcement be allowed to go? Should prosecutors be allowed to subpoena a company's DNA database of thousands of people if they suspect it contains a match to a crime suspect?
I think this issue is just starting to emerge. It will be a classic conflict between scientists desire for more data and Americans desire to keep sensitive personal information private. If your DNA is in an easily accessible database, what are the limits of what bureaucrats can do with it?
