Bio-Ethics Panel Urges Increased DNA Privacy

According to the San Jose Mercury News, a Presidential commission found that in half of the states in the U.S. it would be legal to take a discarded coffee cup and determine the users full DNA sequence without their permission. As DNA sequencing becomes less expensive, this type of privacy violation becomes more of a concern. The panel recommended increased privacy protection for DNA sequencing.

Author Daniel Solove takes this recommendation a step further in his book Nothing to Hide. He recommends the fourth amendment protection for DNA, and in fact for the use of all new technology by law enforcement. He would require a warrant and probable cause for the use of any new technology as a default, and include a process that would allow new technology to be exempt if it didn't pose a threat to privacy.