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The news continues to bring unprecedented revelations describing the US government’s machinations to mine personal information and snoop on enemies and allies alike. In June it was the ongoing National Security Agency leak saga, spurred by the release of protected federal surveillance information by former defense contractor Edward Snowden.
Other news stories further suggest that the government is trawling more than our personal communications. Cables uncovered by WikiLeaks indicate that Big Brother’s interests include exploring the DNA of foreign diplomats and officials.
But it’s not just the government compiling databases of genetic information. With the precipitous drop in DNA sequencing costs, entire human genomes can now be deciphered for around a millionth of the price 10 years ago. Altogether, the personal genomics industry, grassroots patient ...
