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U.K. Police Should Destroy DNA Records of Cleared Suspects: Panel

Aug 4th, 2008 • Posted in: News

Keeping the profiles is ‘the first step towards a totalitarian state,’ says inquiry member

LONDON
A government-sponsored panel has concluded that DNA profiles of people not convicted of a crime should be wiped from databases in England and Wales.

Javed Aslam, one of the 30 panel members, told the BBC that keeping the records would be “the first step towards a totalitarian state.”

British law enforcement has enthusiastically embraced DNA databanking, and the technology has been used to solve several high-profile crimes, including some cold-case murders, reports newspaper portal WalesOnline.com.

Britain currently has records of more than four million people in its database, with DNA collected from cheek swabs. Those swabs can be taken from anyone who comes into contact with police, either as a suspect or witness.

About a million samples from innocent people would be destroyed if the panel’s recommendations are followed, reports London’s Daily Mail.

The report also criticized “lax security measures” concerning which organizations have access to the database.

The London Telegraph last week published a series of reports claiming that millions of profiles were handed over to private companies without the consent of those involved.

Sources: BBC, July 30 — WalesOnline.com, July 30 — Telegraph, July 30 — Daily Mail, July 30.

For more information, see: Related Newsline story, May 5 — Related Newsline story, Apr. 7 — Related Newsline story, Feb. 25 — Related Newsline story, Feb. 4 — Related Newsline story, Jan. 28.

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1. Ethics Newsline® » News » Moral Issues Prominent in Trial of Former FBI Agent on September 22nd, 2008 at 6:14 pm:

   [...] more information, see: Related Newsline story, Aug. 4 — Related Newsline story, Feb. 4 — Related Newsline story, Nov. 13, 2007 [...]

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