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One of the Biggest At-Home DNA Testing Companies Is Working with the FBI

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Re: One of the Biggest At-Home DNA Testing Companies Is Working with the FBI

#21

Post by blacksmith_tb »

metamet wrote: post #14
eaandkw wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well I think the government sells us fear aka-1984 and the tech world sells us pleasure aka-Fahrenheit 451. Really it’s just two sides of the same coin. And that coin is control.

But we get cool stuff like Seashell Radios--err, Airpods! I love putting my dystopian hat on, because I think it offers a convenient and critical lens to look at daily life through... I'd say the coin is a little more subtle than overt control, too. It's breeding passivity through comfort and entertainment, through the facade of individual power. Same thing they talked about in the Federalist Papers. Give some poor p…

Precedents extend much farther back[1].

1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread_and_circuses#Ancient_Rom...

Re: One of the Biggest At-Home DNA Testing Companies Is Working with the FBI

#22

Post by OldSchoolJohnny »

wonderwonder wrote: post #4

I am torn on this, as on the one hand it does violate privacy to a very large degree and provide massive power to the government. Things I am very much against. On the other hand, essentially all this does is provide law enforcement a means to potentially quickly identify violent criminals via physical traits as opposed to the contents of their mind such as forcing someone to unlock a phone which I am very against. A…

This part is concerning though:

"Under the arrangement, the company has also agreed to test DNA evidence for the FBI in its private laboratory."

I hope the FBI will corroborate whatever results the private company comes up with later and just use the data to narrow down the suspects.

Re: One of the Biggest At-Home DNA Testing Companies Is Working with the FBI

#23

Post by awakeasleep »

dymk wrote: post #17
odorousrex wrote: post #2

I really can't tell if we are headed towards a "1984" dystopia, a "Brave New World" dystopia, a Black Mirror "Nosedive" dystopia, or now a "GATTACA" dystopia. It seems like we're headed to a horrible hybrid combination of all of the above.

I don't mean this in a seriously snarky tone, but: What you're saying has been said by every generation which experienced great leaps in technology. Why is this wave of technology, one less transformative than the invention of the printing press or transistor or nuclear bombs (none of which lead to ruin), going to be the one that leads to a dystopia?

I think you bring up an interesting point. For those of us who are employed in the darling industry of our time, in the most liberal societies, who manage our money well, and are not related to anyone undesirable, this will not be a dystopia, it'll be paradise!

Re: One of the Biggest At-Home DNA Testing Companies Is Working with the FBI

#24

Post by keyme »

Of all "dystopian future" things that are now becoming a reality, this is IMHO the most disturbing.

There is nothing you can do about it as a privacy conscious person. Some random relative will give their DNA up at some point or another. Then you're fucked forever.

Re: One of the Biggest At-Home DNA Testing Companies Is Working with the FBI

#25

Post by fcarraldo »

dymk wrote: post #17
odorousrex wrote: post #2

I really can't tell if we are headed towards a "1984" dystopia, a "Brave New World" dystopia, a Black Mirror "Nosedive" dystopia, or now a "GATTACA" dystopia. It seems like we're headed to a horrible hybrid combination of all of the above.

I don't mean this in a seriously snarky tone, but: What you're saying has been said by every generation which experienced great leaps in technology. Why is this wave of technology, one less transformative than the invention of the printing press or transistor or nuclear bombs (none of which lead to ruin), going to be the one that leads to a dystopia?

There is still plenty of time to for the invention of the transistor or the nuclear bomb to lead to ruin.

Re: One of the Biggest At-Home DNA Testing Companies Is Working with the FBI

#26

Post by ribosometronome »

wonderwonder wrote: post #4

I am torn on this, as on the one hand it does violate privacy to a very large degree and provide massive power to the government. Things I am very much against. On the other hand, essentially all this does is provide law enforcement a means to potentially quickly identify violent criminals via physical traits as opposed to the contents of their mind such as forcing someone to unlock a phone which I am very against. A…

>If the company did not disclose this in massive font to potential customers ahead of time, then I do think this company should very quickly go out of business.

Disclose what? The point of most of these services is that you are adding yourself to a searchable database where you can find relations. The FBI seems to be using the service for the explicit reason it exists.

I'm very uncomfortable with the thought that one of these services could hand over specific DNA information to groups that could be used to profile you (employers, insurance, etc) but this use case really shouldn't come as surprising. It seems like complaining that the FBI found you by searching for your name on Facebook.

Re: One of the Biggest At-Home DNA Testing Companies Is Working with the FBI

#27

Post by EliRivers »

wonderwonder wrote: post #4

I am torn on this, as on the one hand it does violate privacy to a very large degree and provide massive power to the government. Things I am very much against. On the other hand, essentially all this does is provide law enforcement a means to potentially quickly identify violent criminals via physical traits as opposed to the contents of their mind such as forcing someone to unlock a phone which I am very against. A…

It also makes it possible to screen for people with various ancestries. In the future, it will be easier to identify the target du jour for rounding up.

Re: One of the Biggest At-Home DNA Testing Companies Is Working with the FBI

#28

Post by shkkmo »

wonderwonder wrote: post #4

I am torn on this, as on the one hand it does violate privacy to a very large degree and provide massive power to the government. Things I am very much against. On the other hand, essentially all this does is provide law enforcement a means to potentially quickly identify violent criminals via physical traits as opposed to the contents of their mind such as forcing someone to unlock a phone which I am very against. A…

> On the other hand, essentially all this does is provide law enforcement a means to potentially quickly identify violent criminals via physical traits as opposed to the contents of their mind such as forcing someone to unlock a phone which I am very against.

That is far from all it does. We have had massive historic and ongoing issues with the correct presentation and interpretation of forensic evidence by experts. There are a number of potential issues that can arise, but the deepest issue is a gradual shifting of the burden of proof onto defendants.

"Perhaps the greatest concern in all this debate, has been the subtle shift in the burden of proof resulting from misunderstanding or misuse of streamlined DNA profile match reports; with assumptions made and inferences asserted that a DNA match could only have resulted from the allegations, unless or until a defendant can demonstrate otherwise."

https://keithborer.co.uk/news/dna-profile-matches-their-use-...

Re: One of the Biggest At-Home DNA Testing Companies Is Working with the FBI

#29

Post by mc32 »

eclipxe wrote: post #15
vincnetas wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would bet for "brave new world", because there's plenty of places ("islands") to leave a modern society and live your life without google, DNA tests, antibiotics or anything else.

Just going to throw antibiotics in there...lol

I think they mean indiscriminate antibiotics (in foods). At least vaccines aren’t included in there.

Re: One of the Biggest At-Home DNA Testing Companies Is Working with the FBI

#30

Post by dymk »

fcarraldo wrote: post #25
dymk wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't mean this in a seriously snarky tone, but: What you're saying has been said by every generation which experienced great leaps in technology. Why is this wave of technology, one less transformative than the invention of the printing press or transistor or nuclear bombs (none of which lead to ruin), going to be the one that leads to a dystopia?

There is still plenty of time to for the invention of the transistor or the nuclear bomb to lead to ruin.

And the printing press. But that's unlikely.

I'm just trying to understand where this feeling of impending doom is coming from, and how it's being rationalized.

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