Intelligence Committee members warn US of bioweapons targeting DNA of individual Americans

[LIBrty4all 3,749]

And yet we have been encouraged to get tested for covid.  Our own government even mails us up to 16 free home test kits.

 

Quote

A member of the House Intelligence Committee warned Americans to stay away from DNA testing services as the information could be used to develop bioweapons targeting specific groups of Americans or even individuals. 

 

Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., made the comments during an appearance at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado on Friday, saying many Americans are far too willing to give up their DNA information to private companies.

 

 

 

https://www.foxnews.com/us/intelligence-committee-members-warn-bioweapons-targeting-dna-individual-americans

[beloved_dingo 1,976]

Just now, LIBrty4all said:

And yet we have been encouraged to get tested for covid.  Our own government even mails us up to 16 free home test kits.

 

 

 

 

https://www.foxnews.com/us/intelligence-committee-members-warn-bioweapons-targeting-dna-individual-americans

What do home tests have to do with this? Taking a home covid test is no different than throwing away cotton swabs, tissues from blowing your nose, or hair from a hairbrush. 

 

Is someone going through our trash to create DNA bioweapons now?

[LIBrty4all 3,749]

20 minutes ago, beloved_dingo said:

What do home tests have to do with this? Taking a home covid test is no different than throwing away cotton swabs, tissues from blowing your nose, or hair from a hairbrush. 

 

Is someone going through our trash to create DNA bioweapons now?

I guess I typed that up wrong.  Just meant that if anyone had a desire to do so, there has been a LOT of opportunity to capture DNA lately.  PCR as opposed to home testing, sorry.

(Thanks for putting the image of someone digging my snotty tissues out of the garbage.  Ewwww!! )

[Dashinka 24,489]

I have never really understood the need to send my DNA to some company that deals with selling information.

[laylalex 7,284]

5 hours ago, beloved_dingo said:

What do home tests have to do with this? Taking a home covid test is no different than throwing away cotton swabs, tissues from blowing your nose, or hair from a hairbrush. 

 

Is someone going through our trash to create DNA bioweapons now?

LOL, I think about the strep test I took last year and wonder if I am now part of the problem.  

[beloved_dingo 1,976]

5 hours ago, LIBrty4all said:

I guess I typed that up wrong.  Just meant that if anyone had a desire to do so, there has been a LOT of opportunity to capture DNA lately.  PCR as opposed to home testing, sorry.

(Thanks for putting the image of someone digging my snotty tissues out of the garbage.  Ewwww!! )

That makes a lot more sense! But even still, if you are worried about DNA collection from a PCR test, then doctors have had the opportunity to store/use your DNA every time you go to see one. 

[Dashinka 24,489]

1 hour ago, beloved_dingo said:

That makes a lot more sense! But even still, if you are worried about DNA collection from a PCR test, then doctors have had the opportunity to store/use your DNA every time you go to see one. 

Personally I think this has more to do with services like 23andMe and Ancestry where people volunteer to give out samples to a company that may share that information to the highest bidder.

[LIBrty4all 3,749]

2 hours ago, beloved_dingo said:

That makes a lot more sense! But even still, if you are worried about DNA collection from a PCR test, then doctors have had the opportunity to store/use your DNA every time you go to see one. 

I'm not worried at all; I was forced to donate my DNA to the cause decades ago.

 

Most doctors are not monetarily incentivized to keep/test DNA samples I'd guess.  Even unlikely via PCR tests.  But is it possible?

 

A common saying at my company: "They would never do that."  And many times, the company does, indeed, do "that".  Just sayin'. 

[yuna628 9,671]

Doctors and lab facilities have been collecting our DNA since birth and every time we get sick and need a test or biopsy. There is nothing unique in a PCR that isn't in any other test we've all had since a baby. At some point we were going to do the same thing to immigrants. Who complained then?

 

Now giving your DNA to ancestry or 23andme so that they can keep it for perpetuity and sell it to whomever they wish, including the police? Well sure, that's a problem. But people do agree to that fine print. But there is nothing in that article that makes anything of the reality of the situation - we have one person complaining about 23andme and another making a giant leap with some incoherent thoughts about livestock and crops. OK! We then slap a misleading headline on that about bioweapons. 

 

Look, people are forking over money and their DNA to these companies willingly. They effectively sign an aggreement, and if they don't read it, that's their own stupidity. Should these companies be doing anything with it? No. But they are. Like giving it to the police all the time - just like Ring's security cameras, our social media info, or other personal data. That's not even questioning if it's secure or not (it's probably not). And it's not even questioning if the results are like.. accurate.

 

https://www.vox.com/recode/2019/12/13/20978024/genetic-testing-dna-consequences-23andme-ancestry

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-11-04/23andme-to-use-dna-tests-to-make-cancer-drugs

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/23andme-is-terrifying-but-not-for-the-reasons-the-fda-thinks/

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/20/opinion/23andme-dna.html

 

[Dashinka 24,489]

18 minutes ago, yuna628 said:

Doctors and lab facilities have been collecting our DNA since birth and every time we get sick and need a test or biopsy. There is nothing unique in a PCR that isn't in any other test we've all had since a baby. At some point we were going to do the same thing to immigrants. Who complained then?

 

Now giving your DNA to ancestry or 23andme so that they can keep it for perpetuity and sell it to whomever they wish, including the police? Well sure, that's a problem. But people do agree to that fine print. But there is nothing in that article that makes anything of the reality of the situation - we have one person complaining about 23andme and another making a giant leap with some incoherent thoughts about livestock and crops. OK! We then slap a misleading headline on that about bioweapons. 

 

Look, people are forking over money and their DNA to these companies willingly. They effectively sign an aggreement, and if they don't read it, that's their own stupidity. Should these companies be doing anything with it? No. But they are. Like giving it to the police all the time - just like Ring's security cameras, our social media info, or other personal data. That's not even questioning if it's secure or not (it's probably not). And it's not even questioning if the results are like.. accurate.

 

https://www.vox.com/recode/2019/12/13/20978024/genetic-testing-dna-consequences-23andme-ancestry

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-11-04/23andme-to-use-dna-tests-to-make-cancer-drugs

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/23andme-is-terrifying-but-not-for-the-reasons-the-fda-thinks/

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/20/opinion/23andme-dna.html

 

Agree, the fact that people are blindly agreeing to and giving up sensitive personal information is troubling.  One of the reasons my wife and I will not get any home speaker system, or join any other social media sites (VJ excepted), and use DuckDuckGo.  Society, government and tech companies are much too intrusive.

[beloved_dingo 1,976]

17 hours ago, Dashinka said:

Personally I think this has more to do with services like 23andMe and Ancestry where people volunteer to give out samples to a company that may share that information to the highest bidder.

Oh I know. Several years back my husband got us 23andMe kits as a Christmas present. Looking back we both kinda wish we hadn't done it. I did opt out of the research stuff and I think selected to destroy my DNA or something (I don't recall exactly) but it's still a risk. 

 

On a related note, I don't understand why so many people are willing to get things like Ring door cameras either.