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Police chief calls for universal DNA database

The Telegraph reports that Scotland’s most senior police office has called for the creation of a DNA database of the entire population.

I can understand the logic that leads people to think that instituting massive surveillance systems or creation of large databases that hold information about every single citizen. If a little of something is good then a lot of that thing must surely be a great thing.

It is believed that because we derive benefits from the current DNA database that increasing the size of that database will derive a commensurate increase in benefits. But that is not the case and any little increase in benefit is I believe far outweighed by the costs both in terms of privacy but also financial.

As a database increases in size the number of errors in that database increase which could lead to mismatches and criminal acts erroneously linked to innocent people.

By Matt Wharton

Matt Wharton is a dad, vlogger and IT Infrastructure Consultant. He was also in a former life a cinema manager.

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