UK Government-backed sociology study using Genetics raises privacy concerns

The Uk government backed UK Household Longitudinal Study to use genetics analysis of British citizens ( previous post on UK BioBank ) to assess impact of Genetics and lifestyle in health and medical treatment and how it affects people’s social and economic status over time, is turning into controversy. The expansion of the program to cover “nature versus nurture” questions through genetic and medical testing has raised fears among civil liberties campaigners.

More than 100,000 people, including children as young as 10, will be asked to provide saliva tests and DNA samples in a new annual survey of the lives, behaviour and beliefs of people in the United Kingdom.

I thought of how we are going to look at privacy concerns at such government backed studies, Take a look at the blog by Deepak Singh Your personal health: The internet and privacy

Even though participation is voluntary The plan has been denounced by civil rights campaigners. ‘I would not let my DNA details be taken in this way,’ said Richard Clayton, the barrister representing the rights group Liberty in its fight to prevent police from keeping DNA samples of suspects later cleared of wrongdoing as quoted on The Observer

Details of the study is available at the University Essex website of UK Household Longitudinal Study