I think it would be a good idea to register everyone's dna at birth.

If anyone wants to know more, look up articles and books by Professor Peter Gill.

Callistemon

It is a wonderful tool in the solving of crime and, in fact, in eliminating suspects, but it's not infallible.

That's exactly it Callistemon, it's certainly not infallible. There's a criminal DNA database, just like fingerprints before it, if you have been convicted of a felony, then your DNA will go on that database, deservedly so. But for those of us who have a moral compass, who respect the law, then our privacy is sacrosanct.

Spangler

The quote: "If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear," came from one, Joseph Goebbels. The right to privacy is enshrined in law and the way rights work is, the government has to justify its intrusion into your rights.

Once the genie is out of the bottle.....................

Apparently the saying is earlier than Goebbels; it was noted in the early 20th C

english.stackexchange.com/questions/217196/origin-of-you-have-nothing-to-fear-if-you-have-nothing-to-hide

But the fact that Goebbels used it is indicative of its danger.

I am utterly opposed to the idea of a database of everyone's DNA for all the reasons already stated.

I suggest that people think a bit more deeply about the implications before enthusiastically endorsing it.

It is a wonderful tool in the solving of crime and, in fact, in eliminating suspects, but it's not infallible.

I wonder how long it would take before someone in the criminal community thought of taking things with someone's DNA on them to a crime location and leaving it for the police to find? In fact it could be happening now, only most of us wouldn't be identifiable.

I too think it`s a good idea,have thought so for many ,and finger prints from birth as i have been told they don`t change.

No, a step too far, I think.

I have nothing to hide

People sometimes do have something to hide for good reasons. They are not criminals.

I am probably in favour of ID cards but taking the DNA of a newborn baby? Storing everyone's DNA on a huge national database which could be open to misuse? Absolutely not.

Many Jews managed to flee Nazi Germany during the war. What if the authorities had had everyone's DNA on record? Many innocent people would have lost their lives.

No way! Apart from the family disruptions this could cause about who was the child's father (when scientists were researching Huntingdon's Disease which is inherited it kept turning up in families where it shouldn't have been), there is also the possibility of life limiting illnesses causing difficulties in adult life. Then there's security, who would ensure this? It's a complete minefield.

I would not have a problem with stored DNA, but I have nothing to hide.
We could sort a lot of problems by having access to this stored information. I am also very much in favour of ID cards.

The quote: "If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear," came from one, Joseph Goebbels. The right to privacy is enshrined in law and the way rights work is, the government has to justify its intrusion into your rights.

Once the genie is out of the bottle.....................

It would require a lot more indepth sequencing to discover and hold all that information on a database.

I think what the OP was suggesting was a database for the whole population on the lines of the National Database for the purposes of matching DNA at a scene to a crime.

I do not agree with that as it could be open to misuse.

My husband thinks before long children will be microchipped at birth. I can see pitfalls with this of course. I did read a while ago about chips being implanted in people's arms to enable them to pay for purchases etc. Think it was in one of the Scandinavian countries,

I too have reservations about the DNA register for the same reasons as geekesse

It's not infallible.

can see the problems and pitfalls - but the benefits go beyond solving crimes. There would be far greater control over immigration (overstaying visas), benefit fraud (claiming for non-existent kids) etc. and only those with something to hide would object.

I’ve often thought it would be a good idea but I’m non the wiser as to how there would be far greater control of the things you’ve mentioned*

How would it work?

MaryTheBookeeper, I think it would be a brilliant idea. At birth or upon entry into the country, we could register everyone's DNA. Our DNA would be more accurate than a fingerprint.

I can see the problems and pitfalls - but the benefits go beyond solving crimes. There would be far greater control over immigration (overstaying visas), benefit fraud (claiming for non-existent kids) etc. and only those with something to hide would object.

SueDonim

And privacy laws are never broken, Spangler?

Indeed they are. Facebook, Google are past masters at it. But they are in the minor league. There's a company called Clearview AI that amasses every detail of our lives, illegally.
onezero.medium.com/i-got-my-file-from-clearview-ai-and-it-freaked-me-out-33ca28b5d6d4

"....a good idea to register everyone's DNA at birth". Not blxxdy likely

I've had this discussion several times many years ago and opinions differed greatly.

On balance, I think it is an intrusion of privacy and especially taking the DNA of a new baby who could not possibly give consent.

If a suspect is cleared of a crime their DNA should be removed from the National Database within a certain period of time.

Yes, it could help to solve crime but is an extreme invasion of privacy.

And privacy laws are never broken, Spangler?

Geekesse, exactly. Reminds me of the movie Gattica!

I've always thought this. Seems so logical.

The European Data Protection Regulation of May 25th, 2018 in all member states to harmonise data privacy laws across Europe would forbid it.
geekesse said:
"geekesse Wed 05-Aug-20 21:45:55
It’s a small step from merely holding your DNA to using it for checking purposes, then for control."
Quite so, it might prove useful in detective work but it does have sinister implications, like the Nazi's, so called, "genetic purification."
Once out of the EU then it could be possible.
Urmstongran said:
"Urmstongran Wed 05-Aug-20 20:20:32 If I’ve not been naughty I’ve nothing to fear surely?"
A privacy law is just that and those that it protects shouldn't have to justify it.

It’s a small step from merely holding your DNA to using it for checking purposes, then for control. It doesn’t bother me personally, but I can see why people don’t like the idea.

You want a 25 year mortgage? Lets’s just check. No, sorry, you have DNA code for a life shortening illness, so we can’t give you a mortgage.

Your child’s DNA shows they are a carrier of a dominant gene for a genetic disability. Let’s sterilise her/him before puberty to prevent the risk of a disabled child.

And would you want some nameless DNA archive clerk to know that your family has genes for Huntington’s disease, or haemophilia, or Tay-Sach, when you don’t know yourself?