Doctors in California have been quietly stealing DNA samples from newborns for decades and storing them in a state-run biobank.
By Jack Burns | 10 June 2018
FREE THOUGHT PROJECT — Every individual who is born in a hospital in California now has a sample of their DNA stolen and kept in a state-run database. What used to take a court order now happens regularly, and the disturbing invasion of privacy takes place with hardly a whimper of protest from the nation’s most populous state.
According to a report from CBS San Francisco, the DNA of every person born in California since 1983 is stored in a state biobank. Police, the government, and outside researchers have access to it. While parents can request that their children’s DNA samples be destroyed, the state is not obligated to honor the request or to report if it has been carried out.
In what may seem as far-fetched as NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden’s revelation that the government is spying on all Americans, such DNA could potentially be used against children in a court of law, or be sold to potential bidders much like Planned Parenthood reportedly does with aborted baby body parts. What scientists can do with one’s DNA is limitless.
The news that California has been quietly collecting DNA since the early 80s comes on the heels of the news that the “Golden State Killer” was apprehended using DNA evidence collected through Ancestry.com. According to CBS San Francisco, few parents are fully aware of the DNA collection practice:
“State law requires that parents are informed of their right to request the child’s sample be destroyed, but the state does not confirm parents actually get that information before storing or selling their child’s DNA … most parents are not getting the required notification. We’ve also discovered the DNA may be used for more than just research.”
To answer the question of just how the state has managed to collect and log every new resident’s DNA, it is taken during a simple blood test meant to identify and potentially prevent congenital disorders called “The Newborn Genetic Screening Test.” The simplistically titled exam belies the very real practice of collecting DNA samples from every human born in the state. […]
Scottish Babies DNA Database May Be Destroyed
By Jason Allardyce | 26 January 2014
THE TIMES OF LONDON — A database of DNA samples taken from millions of Scottish babies and retained without parents’ consent could be destroyed in response to civil liberty concerns.
While doctors believe the records collected since 1965 could save lives by assisting with medical research, a new report published by the Scottish government acknowledges that police access to the resource has caused public concern.
The samples are routinely taken from newborn babies to test for illnesses such as cystic fibrosis and can alert other family members to possible hereditary conditions. […]
This is why you do a home birth. Expect all states to be engaging in these activities.