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DNA of up to a million to be wiped under Freedom Bill
http://www.x404.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=12519		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Amnesia10 [ Fri Feb 11, 2011 8:02 pm ]
Post subject:  DNA of up to a million to be wiped under Freedom Bill
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... -Bill.html

Quote:
Only the profiles of people suspected of serious offences of sex or violence will be retained and only for a maximum of five years, under plans unveiled in the Protection of Freedoms Bill published yesterday.
The move ends a three-year campaign by civil liberty groups after a European Court ruled the blanket, indefinite retention of DNA of innocent people was unlawful.
However, it will be at least a year before samples begin to be deleted because police chiefs will not change their policy until the proposals become law.

A sensible change, and Labour had better support the changes.
Author:  Linux_User [ Fri Feb 11, 2011 8:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: DNA of up to a million to be wiped under Freedom Bill
It's about [LIFTED] time!
Author:  Amnesia10 [ Fri Feb 11, 2011 9:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: DNA of up to a million to be wiped under Freedom Bill
Agreed Labour were just kow-towing to lazy police who thought that DNA was the easy way out of doing their job.
Author:  JJW009 [ Sat Feb 12, 2011 1:53 am ]
Post subject:  Re: DNA of up to a million to be wiped under Freedom Bill
So does nobody think a complete DNA database would be good for crime detection?
Author:  Linux_User [ Sat Feb 12, 2011 2:31 am ]
Post subject:  Re: DNA of up to a million to be wiped under Freedom Bill
JJW009 wrote:
So does nobody think a complete DNA database would be good for crime detection?

Sure, is it proportional? No. Does the government have the right to force innocent people to surrender their DNA? No.
Author:  JJW009 [ Sat Feb 12, 2011 3:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: DNA of up to a million to be wiped under Freedom Bill
Governments enforce a lot of rules which some people don't like. They do it for "the greater good". As you suggest, it's a question of proportion: does the benefit out way the economic and social cost. You make it sound like "innocent people to surrendering their DNA" is some form of torture, but in principle it's little different to having your picture taken.

Personally I'd be quite happy if the entire world used a DNA signature instead of a NI or social security number. If every single person was on a database, then it would be trivial to prove that the signatures were unique (historically a significant failing of said signatures) and it would be totally fair. There's no discrimination if everyone is treated equally.
Author:  jonbwfc [ Sat Feb 12, 2011 4:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: DNA of up to a million to be wiped under Freedom Bill
JJW009 wrote:
Personally I'd be quite happy if the entire world used a DNA signature instead of a NI or social security number. If every single person was on a database, then it would be trivial to prove that the signatures were unique (historically a significant failing of said signatures) and it would be totally fair. There's no discrimination if everyone is treated equally.

Actually, If I remember the recent reports right, there would be roughly 50 people in the world whose DNA signature would be indistinguishable from mine. So err.. yeah, not quite going to work yet that.

DNA evidence is properly used when it's part of a suite of evidence that is used to show that is is highly unlikely that anyone else could have committed a given crime/would be that person. DNA is not a form of authentication evidence, it's a form of elimination evidence. Plus it's actually significantly easier to steal a sample of someone's DNA sufficient to contaminate a scene than it is to do so with their blood for example, or even their fingerprints. What about monozygotic identical twins who literally do have the same DNA?

That's part of the problem with 'DNA evidence'. It's isn't foolproof on it's own and it probably can't be.

Plus such a database would be.. difficult to maintain. How many people are born every minute? How many die? who is going to look after getting them all on or taking them off the database? Who is going to make sure it's accurate? How gets to use it or not use it? what if your DNA showed you might get ill in the future; would a medical insurance firm be able to use that to charge you a higher premium even though you're currently in good health? What about paternity suits? How far does it go to being basically public knowledge?

It's an attractive idea but it's too flawed to base a universal, mandatory, trusted identification system on.

Jon
Author:  Amnesia10 [ Sat Feb 12, 2011 4:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: DNA of up to a million to be wiped under Freedom Bill
DNA evidence is not infallible. Remember the case of a woman at 50 crime scenes? Turned out she was a packer in the polish factory where the DNA swabs were made.

It is just another clue to point the police in the right direction. Nothing more.
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