If you were born in California after 1983, the state is most likely storing your DNA – which may be available to law enforcement, researchers, or, hopefully, someone who can secretly clone you so you can send the extra you to work and your kid’s boring recitals and you can catch up Netflix.
It sounds crazy, but as San Francisco’s CBS station confirms in a recent report (that you should take some time to read over here), California has collected bio-samples from every kid born child born in the state over the last 35 years and stored . Parents can request that their child’s sample be destroyed, but it’s not confirmed that parents are told that information before their child’s DNA is stored or even sold for research.
And while the samples gathered can do good – such as screening for congenital disorders that, diagnosed early, can save 5,000 to 6,000 children nationwide every year – there are also concerns. Naturally, some parents and, well anyone under 35, might be disturbed about learning this news – what with all the data breaches that have been happening involving personal information lately, but a researcher stressed that the information stored in the state biobank is “de-identified” – making it just a number without an identifying information.
There could be a way to fix things and allow parents to opt-out before their child is born, but that would involve California lawmakers passing new legislation and, well, that’s probably not going to happen anytime soon.
