On popular science and technology website Singularity Hub i found interesting article. It shows that as of July2011 13 states in US collect DNA samples from anyone who gets arrested. It highlightens the usefulness of this practice and even gives example of the case when murderer was found because police had his DNA after he was arrested for felony. Of course DNA profiling can serve many good causes, but the fact that it gets so widespread and used on virtually anyone, makes me personally, very uncomfortable.
Lets say you get arrested because you happened to be out late at night and crime was committed nearby. You will be released from police department within couple hours, but your DNA sample will be stored in their system. Of course, as a law obeying citizen you have nothing to worry about. That’s from the side of law enforcement agencies, but in the age of computer hacking there may be criminals who can use your precious information. If Wiki Leaks could access information from top secret government websites, where is guarantee that your DNA code won’t be stolen from police databases and used for anything from fraud to faking of your criminal records. Article hints on the problem by saying that widespread DNA screening practice “raises serious concerns about who has access to potentially incriminating DNA information stored in databases”.
Another thing with databases is that there may be mistakes. Article mentions that society and courts put a lot of weight on DNA identification. Therefore, given the level of trust that courts are putting into DNA identification, one may be convicted wrongfully because of the faulty entry in DNA police database.
Now whether the fact that so many states use DNA profiling on anyone who is arrested serves for public good or not is up to you to decide.
I also found this article scary and believe it can cause major problems related to manipulation of confidential information. Cyber crimes involving the compromise of credit card numbers, social security numbers, and an endless amount of confidential information have been going on for years. DNA data can also be stolen by hacking into the police departments databases, the consequences can be devastating. Criminals can manipulate the DNA samples and cause innocent people to get convicted of crimes they never committed. Murders can escape prosecution by deleting or changing there personal DNA samples. DNA information can be sold to external sources and people can make money while confrontational information is circulated everywhere.
I love technology and use it on a regular basis. However, I think over the past ten years things have gotten a bit out of control. I feel everyone can know everything about everyone by going online and clicking the mouse a few times. I miss the days when people actually communicated with people if they wanted to know more about them. Today, people can sit at home in there bunny slippers and enter someones Facebook page without there knowledge or consent. I hope this comes to an end and government starts passing more laws protecting peoples privacy. That may be an unrealistic hope because the people claiming to protect us are often the same people invading are privacy.
I found this article intrigue which brings an argument in regards to the DNA database for the U.S. society. Many murder cases have been solve in the last decade due to this introduction of DNA technology. Many lives are at stake, when it comes to the DNA technology. It could determine the freedom or end of a human life. The idea of storing and collecting DNA from law breakers across U.S. is an idea that I support. The reason I support this idea, is that it will make mysterious murder cases be solved quicker and efficient. Yes there are cracks within every system, like the security of this DNA data, reliability, or the precision of conviction of suspects, but having an exposed crime system will leave the investigations more or less bare. Every problem/crime has a source where it leads to a solution. I am sure the U.S. Govt has several security programs where they will defend state secrets, so therefore it should have no excuse on defending the U.S. public records on solving crimes.
Hello all!
Irinia, you are not alone! When looking online I saw a similar article that discusses all the controversy surrounding this.. here is the URL:
http://www.nij.gov/journals/264/debating-DNA.htm
It quotes “although DNA helps law enforcement investigate and prosecute crime, the new trend of preconviction DNA collection raises serious Fourth Amendment issues for the criminal justice community.” It is similar to the article Irinia found as it discusses how a trend is emerging in todays world of authorities collecting DNA samples of who are simply arrested and not convicted of a crime. The articles states that as of 2009, 20 states have passed legislation approving DNA collection upon arrest. Now me personally, when I first read the article and thought about the topic I thought, “OK, well is this really so bad? It seems to be just a more advanced way to keep tabs on the people who have contact with the law. Maybe its is for the greater good?” But then as the idea sank in and I started considering what I was going to write for my post I started to have somewhat of a different opinion. Although I do see good coming out of a system such as this, the reality of the fact that it really is just one more thing regulating our existence and presence under the government and officials. Its just bringing us one step closer to a systematic, controlled era of life. First it starts with collecting DNA of those being arrested, next its collecting DNA at birth! Before we know it we are all just numbers in a system, those of which are being documented and even studied if needed. I guess its not that big a deal and it really wont have to much of an affect on how we live our day to day lives, but yes it is kinda scary and opens the door to other comparable things that come with it..
What concerns me the most is that evidence of any type is subject to tampering. An individuals DNA being stored away somewhere is subject to theft. How can an individual deny allegations and be presumed innocent if their DNA is stolen and used in a framing scheme?