Controversy over DNA database rages
The Human Genetics Commission has urged the government to remove innocent people from the police national database. The Citizens’ Inquiry found that the database should be put under independent control and criminals who have served their sentence should be removed.
The inquiry looked into a broad selection of opinion. Alice Maynard, chair of the working group said “We wanted to hear the public’s views on the development of the national DNA database and whether storing the DNA profiles of victims and suspects who are not charged or are subsequently acquitted is justified by the need to fight crime,” she said.
The database holds the fingerprints of four million people, including around one million who had their biometrics taken, but were acquitted or who volunteered to be on the database to eliminate themselves from a police inquiry.
The panel also recommended a vigorous nationwide education campaign that explains why DNA samples are taken and the special arrangements for situations where DNA samples have to be taken by force.
“Such a database will hold an incredibly large amount of highly sensitive information” comments Derrick Cameron, MD of Eximium. “Given the Government’s track record of losing data it is an understandable concern to many that so much information is held in one place” he adds.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008 at 11:05 am and is filed under Business Advice, Data Security, News . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
