In today’s high-tech world, our privacy concerns typically revolve around usernames, passwords and PIN numbers. But one piece of personal data has been overlooked until recently: your genetic information.
Our genomes represent unique biological identifiers, distinguishing us from others. Each of the cells in our bodies contains and protects information encoded in our DNA, collectively known as our genome.
Because each person’s DNA is unique, privacy becomes a major issue. When a person’s DNA is used for sequencing, although clinicians are only interested in certain genes known as “markers” for a disease, they have access to a person’s entire genome – including genetic information outside the bounds of a particular disease. Who should have control and access to this information?
Read the full, original story: A New Era of Privacy
