From the Radio Free Michigan archives ftp://141.209.3.26/pub/patriot If you have any other files you'd like to contribute, e-mail them to bj496@Cleveland.Freenet.Edu. ------------------------------------------------ Genetic Privacy Threatened `Human bar codes' envisioned By John Douglas National Reporter OTTAWA -- Imagine a society where within minutes of being born, a child's genetic profile is placed in a central computer and the information used to determine who they marry, where they work, and if they qualify for insurance, public health care and other social services. Bruce Phillips, Canada's privacy commissioner, believes information gleaned from genetic testing could soon be bandied about in the same way credit information is today. "No surveillance technology is more threatening to privacy than that designed to unlock the information contained in human genes," said Phillips, who released a report on the issue yesterday. Trading in genetic information could reduce people to "human bar codes" similar to those found on supermarket shelves, he said, making it possible for employers to hand-pick only the best workers, insurers to reject high-risk clients and governments to select only the most favorable immigrants or fund the brightest university students. "It's unaccountably intrusive," Phillips said. "It runs the risk of creating a genetic underclass. . . that is unemployable and uninsurable." He said the potential for abuse is so great the federal government should move quickly to limit the collection, storage and use of genetic information. Genetics is a science that has been growing by leaps and bounds in recent years, thanks mainly to a 15-year, $3-billion international effort called the Human Genome Project. Its goal is to map out and sequence the human genome -- the collection of one's genes. Genetic fingerprinting analyses a person's DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) which carries genetic information that determines physical and, some believe, mental and psychological characteristics. Scientists believe that, in the future, genetic screening will tell us who will be smart, who will work hard, who will be anti-social, who will be athletic and who is likely to become addicted to alcohol and drugs. "I am very concerned," said John Hamerton, head of human genetics at the University of Manitoba. "There certainly is a need to talk about this, to set ground rules and discuss all the consequences of leaving this area unregulated." Currently, genetic testing is limited in Canada to forensic DNA analysis in criminal investigations and limited screening during prenatal exams. A fetus may be screened for genetic disorders through amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling. However, in the United States and Great Britain, insurance companies are exploring the use of genetic screening to determine eligibility. Report calling for federal study Some recommendations of the Genetic Testing and Privacy report: - Amending the Constitution to guarantee the right to individual privacy as a means of curbing genetic testing. - A call for a federal study on the extent of genetic testing by both government and the private sector. - Prohibit employers from collecting genetic information about employees without consent. - Prohibit mandatory genetic testing by the state and private sectors except in limited criminal investigations. - Prohibit mandatory genetic testing to determine eligibility for benefits and services. - Prohibit employers from making genetic testing a condition of employment. ------------------------------------------------ (This file was found elsewhere on the Internet and uploaded to the Radio Free Michigan archives by the archive maintainer. All files are ZIP archives for fast download. E-mail bj496@Cleveland.Freenet.Edu)